#is it just philly? is it just being from philly & surrounding environs that makes you like that?

[beangods]

why are dudes from pennsylvania like that

[profspruce]

Hi! This my first ask ever, and I wanted to know, which Pokemon live in Philadelphia?

Thanks for the ask! I would love to answer this question!

Philadelphia is a city rich with history and culture. Much like other metropolitan areas whatever Pokémon would be found here need to be accustomed to the hustle and bustle of city life. However, that's not to say that there are no surrounding natural areas. In fact, as rich as the city is with culture, there is a plethora of wildlife in the marshes and farm fields just outside the city that can support a huge diversity of wildlife. The forest types outside the city are generally Northern Mixed Hardwood forests and Appalachian Oak Forests. Together with the multiple freshwater marshes, rivers, ponds, and grasslands, there truly are few limitations as to what species may be present!

Grass - Grookey

As the birthplace for many rock, jazz, R & B, and Hip Hop artists, Philadelphia has roots in music that run very, very deep. I think it's a safe bet that as a Pokémon that utilizes its natural sense of rhythm to attack but also nourish surrounding plant life, Grookey would be incredibly well adapted for life in the city. Considering its mobility and primate-like appearance I believe it is also adapted to be able to survive in the surrounding forests. Also, drumsticks used by musicians are commonly made from species like maple, oak, and hickory. These species are known as hardwood trees and because of their lack of non-supportive cells compared to softwood trees like pine, they are a lot stronger and slower growing than softwood trees. Thus, not only would Grookey have the "groove" necessary for life in Philly, but it would also have access to the best material to make its drumstick with!

Fire - Fennekin

To be honest it was difficult to find the right fire Pokémon for Philadelphia. There are a lot of factors to consider when trying to hypothesize how Pokémon may best be suited to their native environment. Frankly, it was a bit of a process of elimination, but I think this makes the most sense. Fennekin is based off of the fennec fox, which is a fox species native to Northern Africa. Although Philadelphia is nowhere near as warm as Northern Africa, the surrounding environment is home to both the Red Fox and the Gray Fox. Foxes are opportunistic predators, meaning they are not the least bit picky when it comes to their next meal. As there is a ton of wildlife diversity surrounding Philadelphia and in the rest of Pennsylvania, I think its characteristics based off of species in the fox family (vulpes) will allow Fennekin to thrive well in this area. Furthermore, Fennekin is constantly grooming itself and is always concerned with its appearance. This sense of fashion and self-image would come as an adaptation in a city so rich with culture!

Water - Mudkip

In the Heart Gold and Soul Silver Pokédex entries, Mudkip is said to "rest by covering itself in mud at the bottom of a river." With the Delaware River a big part of the Pennsylvania landscape, and with the many marshes and wetlands in the surrounding area, I think Mudkip would be well adapted for life in Philadelphia. Several other Pokédex entries say that it uses the fin on its head as a sort of radar to determine what is taking place around it. This may be useful in a busy city to help narrow its concentration and focus where there can be a lot going on at once. Furthermore, as I was concerned about its amphibian-like physiology, I was concerned at how necessary it was this Pokémon be close to water. However as I looked more into it, this Pokémon doesn't appear to require it be constantly submerged in water like the common mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) which it is based off of. It is perfectly content being out of the water for prolonged periods of time.

I hope I answered your question! If you would like to know about the early route species or anything else just let me know and I can make an addition!

Thank you for reaching out!

[romancandlemagazine]

An Interview with Alexander Wolfe, the man behind Pedestrian Magazine

Pedestrian is a magazine about the humble art of walking. In this interview, I talked with the man with the plan, Alexander Wolfe, about his love for this much maligned form of transport, his recent expedition from New York to Philadelphia, and the art of conversation.

First off, you recently walked from New York City to Philadelphia over nine days. What made you want to do that?

The initial desire to walk to Philadelphia came out living in New York City during the pandemic. I was bound to my apartment for a few months with little to do but walk around my neighborhood. I've always had a habit of walking around the city, but the pandemic only made these walks longer and longer, which eventually led to a 23 mile journey from my apartment in Brooklyn, to the Bronx, and back.

Around that time I was reading The Roads to Sata by Alan Booth and started contemplating longer, multi-day walks. I needed a change of scenery and found the idea of traveling by foot and living out of a bag very appealing. I felt like I'd developed a process here in the city (go on a walk, take photos, write a newsletter about the walk, repeat) and needed to give myself a challenge.  I wanted to lean further into this practice that I've been developing for the last three years.

I'd never considered my walks to be hikes, so it made sense that I'd keep it in an urban setting. Walking to Philadelphia seemed like a no-brainer. What most people don't initially realize is that most of my time was spent walking through New Jersey. I liked the idea of walking in a place that is commonly misrepresented as the "armpit of America" and typically deemed unwalkable. New Jersey is actually a very underrated state. It might be the densest state population-wise, but it's called the Garden State for a reason. Oh yeah, I'd never been to Philadelphia and just really wanted to visit.

How did the walk go? Quite often trips or excursions can be a fair bit different to how you first imagine them… how did the reality of the walk differ from how you thought it was going to be?

I was presented with a new challenge every day. Don't get me wrong, the walk turned out better than I could have ever imagined, but you can never anticipate everything in advance. This was the first time I'd ever walked with a 25 pound bag on my back, let alone the first time I'd walked 9 days in a row. Originally I set out to average 17.75 miles per day, but thanks to my own curiosity, ended up waking 20 miles a day on average. I mapped the entire route a month or two before leaving, but would always deviate from the path in favor of exploring some neighborhood, road, or park that looked appealing. The first day alone ballooned into 27 miles because I got cocky and thought I didn't need to use my map while walking in Manhattan. I learned my lesson and kept my eyes on the map for the rest of the trip.

Another thing I didn't expect was the sensitivity one develops after walking 6-8 hours for days in a row. The smell of exhaust and gasoline becomes more potent. You realize how violently we've shaped the land to build huge highways and abysmal business parks. So much of our infrastructure is built in favor of the car, which makes being a pedestrian incredibly difficult at times. If the built environment didn't present a challenge, it was always the weather, the gnarly blisters on my feet, or my gear malfunctioning. I quickly learned to accept these challenges. It was just another component of the walk.

A lot of times people go for ‘a walk’, they’re seeking out beauty spots or nice scenery—maybe in nature reserves or the countryside, but your walk was cutting through some fairly overlooked places… industrial estates and small towns. Do people miss out by not seeing the whole picture of somewhere? Is just driving through these places to get to the destination sort of cheating?

I wouldn't consider driving to be cheating – it's just another way we alienate ourselves from the world around us. When we drive, we experience the world at a speed that makes it nearly impossible to pay attention to the fine details. Our relationship to place is abstracted, especially thanks to the rise of GPS. We no longer have to have a physical relationship to these towns. We don't even have to remember how to get to them. Driving around in a car reduces these places to nothing more than a label on a map or a convenient place to stop for gas.

It's important to have relationships with the places surrounding you. The walk has given me an intimate experience with the space between New York City and Philadelphia. I know what it looks like, I know how it feels to be there. I can tell you where residents stop hanging New York Yankees flags in favor of Philadelphia Phillies flags. If I'm watching the Soprano's and Tony references Metuchen, NJ then I know exactly what he's talking about. I think to understand a place, such as New York City, it's just as important to understand the places around it. There are generations of people who once called the Big Apple home, but decided to plant their roots in Jersey for one reason or another.

I suppose you could have read about some of these places on Wikipedia, but being there is a completely different thing. Is experiencing stuff first hand important?

It's very important if you actually want to understand a place. It's too easy to create our own narratives without ever visiting a place. I still tried to do my share of research before heading out. I have friends from North Jersey or the Philadelphia Metro and tried to take their opinions with a grain of salt. I spent some time reading about certain towns along the way on Wikipedia or scanned Reddit to get a vibe. I even previewed chunks of the walk on Google Street View to mentally prepare and know if it was actually safe to walk near some of these roads. I could have spent months preparing, but it never would actually replace walking in these small towns and cities. It's so much different when you're on the ground.

I suppose the main reason we’re talking is that you make a magazine based around the idea of walking. How long have you been making Pedestrian? What started it off?

I released the first issue of Pedestrian back in March of 2018. I was living in Ridgewood, Queens at the time and made friends with a guy named Curtis Merkel (I actually met him while out on a walk). He ran a moving business for a few decades and retired. At 84 years old he opened up a tiny little bookshop to keep himself busy. I'd visit him every weekend to check out his books and eventually we'd just get to talking. He'd lived in Ridgewood his entire life and loved to talk about the neighborhood's history. Moving to NYC also introduced me to a thriving community of zine makers. I wanted to share these conversations I'd had with Curtis in print form, so I decided to start a magazine. I invited a few friends to contribute and the rest was history.

Since then, the identity of Pedestrian has become quite fluid. While it started as a magazine, I would now describe Pedestrian as my own practice. It's a platform that allows me to collaborate with others, produce magazines, write newsletters, go on these long multi-day walks, and produce t-shirts. I have found this configuration gives me the most creative freedom.

A lot of your magazine is about meeting people and striking up conversations. Is this a lost art these days?

I don't know if it's a lost art per se, but there's less incentive to reach out and talk with strangers these days. Thanks to the rise of social media it's just getting easier and easier to stay within our own "bubbles." Starting Pedestrian, in a way, was an excuse for me to speak with those I typically wouldn't reach. It's amazing how having a publication kind of takes the fear out of speaking with strangers. You can do anything when you have intention.

Although walking is something most people do, is it overlooked as an activity? It seems it’s mostly seen as an inconvenience, rather than a hobby in itself.

It depends where you live. In New York City, for example, walking is a part of the culture. The city is built in such a way that makes walking a viable means of transportation. And if you can't walk to your destination, you're likely walking to a subway or a bus. Where I'm from in Iowa, walking is very inconvenient. Everything is spaced out, which makes walking anywhere very difficult. It’s not that people don’t want to walk, it’s just the way we’ve built certain communities has made it very hard to enjoy. It makes people think walking is very inconvenient.

I’m here in Iowa until August and it’s been interesting to walk a place that is so reliant on cars. The other day I did a 13.5 walk around the city. There’s nothing here stopping you from walking (unless the heat gets you. Technically we’re in the middle of a drought. It’s been incredibly hot as of late), and there’s plenty of sidewalk. I think it’s mostly just a mindset people have to develop. It doesn’t matter how many miles you walk, it’s just about getting out there. Your mental health will thank you and you might even learn something new about your surroundings along the way.

Walking is maybe the antithesis to the internet, but Pedestrian also has a decent presence on the World Wide Web, and you regularly send newsletters and... er... partake in the digital world. How do you balance the real world with the matrix?

It’s a relationship I’m constantly reevaluating. I’m not a master of balancing the two yet, but I’m slowly building habits that will protect my time. I often daydream of abandoning social media altogether and picking up a flip phone. I obviously haven’t done that yet, so in the meantime, I’m investing a lot of time in my newsletter. Sending out a newsletter is a much more thoughtful, intimate, and slow experience...kind of like the way I approach my walks out in the world. I understand that the web is a tool and I’m not sure the Philly walk would have gotten the same amount of attention had I not had an Instagram account. It’s cliche, but everything in moderation, right? I try not to take it so seriously.

What next for Pedestrian?

The Philly walk was such a great success and I’d like to keep that momentum going. Later in September I have another big, big walk planned, but I have yet to announce the route. Look for an announcement sometime next month. This one will be a bit longer and involve 3 different cities. I can’t wait.

Once winter hits I’m going to buckle down and produce a proper book for the Philly walk that will include all my writing and photos I took along the journey. I’m already excited to share the finished product with the world. Stay tuned.

Final question, what are your walking shoes of choice? And what's your soundtrack? Are earphones advised for long walks, or do you prefer the ambient sounds of the streets?

I’m a big fan of Hoka Clifton’s. I wore them throughout the entire Philly walk and have two pairs in my closet. At this point, Hoka should probably pay me for how much business I send their way. I’m always recommending them.

I prefer not to wear headphones and just listen to the ambient sounds of the street. More often than not, I find wearing headphones to be a bit distracting and it takes me out of the present moment. Although, I’ll admit I have been trying to introduce music into my walking once again, but few tracks make the cut. Lately Andrew Wasylyk’s Last Sunbeams of Childhood has been on repeat. There’s something about that track...

Find out more about Pedestrian here. Pedestrian is available in the UK courtesy of Central Library.

[onestowatch]

Ant Clemons Is Just Getting Started [Q&A]

Photo By: Dominique Ross

Ant Clemons is ready for the spotlight. The LA-based singer/songwriter has been a budding songwriter in the LA scene for a few years now. He’s secured placements with Luke James, Kali Uchis, and Noah Cyrus to name a few. His biggest break was when he appeared on “All Mine,” track three on Kanye West’s 2018 project, Ye. Since then, Clemons has been nominated for multiple Grammys, collaborated with Pharrell and The Neptunes, performed with Kanye West at Coachella, and much more. But where did his story start?

Ant Clemons grew up in Willingboro, New Jersey. Willingboro is a small town about thirty minutes outside of Philadelphia. The oldest of three children, Ant described his childhood as a creatively expressive environment. Besides singing in his church choir, and his budding career as a Michael Jackson impersonator, young Ant would perform with his sisters at family events. “We wanted to be the Jackson Five so bad, but my parents only had three kids.” The creative gene came from his parents. His father had a famous falsetto and his mother was a trained dancer. Music was always played in their household. “I equate my childhood to The Cosby Show. We had some great times. I remember having amazing times at Christmas. Music was always on in the house. Someone was always singing or trying to sing.”

Clemons’ seemingly perfect childhood definitely had its share of trials and tribulations. Around 2009, his parents got divorced and he ended up moving with his mom to a small town called Pennsauken, right outside of Philadelphia. In the wake of the divorce, Clemons began taking his singing and songwriting more seriously. Shortly after moving to Pennsauken, he met Frankie Hill, Julian Tabb, Michael Stargel, Ross Richards, and Theo Robinson. Like Clemons, they were also into making music. Shortly after, they formed a group called The Committee. “To this day, they’re some of my best friends. We were all working on music 24/7. So, it was a great way to transition into my new surroundings and distract me from some of the things I was going through.”

Being a part of The Committee helped Clemons sharpen his writing and singing skills. To make money, Clemons started waiting tables at a Red Lobster in his town. As his ambitions grew, he wanted to get closer to the music industry and make his career as a songwriter a reality. For a lot of people, the first step in that journey is tasking a trip to Los Angeles. Describing his first impression of LA, Clemons says “I only stayed for like a week and a half, but I knew from the time I walked out of LAX that this is where I needed to be. It’s nice all the time. Everybody was always smiling. This is the best place in the world. Like, I have to be here”

Lucky for him, his bosses at Red Lobster were extremely supportive of his dream. “They knew that music was my number one priority. So, when opportunities popped up in LA, they were more than supportive. They wiped tell me “go out there for as long as you need. Your job is here for you when you come back.” His family was also a major source of support for him. “Having supportive parents was everything. At the time, I was living with my mom. So, she was the main push, but both of them are just hella supportive of anything my sisters and I ever wanted to do. I know that not everybody grows up with that kind of support. But I had amazing parents that set an amazing foundation for me to just be whoever I wanted to be. None of my successes is possible without them.”

In 2017, Clemons made the full time move to LA. When he first got to LA, he was sleeping on couches and floors. Triangle Park, an LA-based music production crew, let him crash with them. But there was one caveat - He had to write one song per day. Reminiscing on that time, Clemons said “I just knew God wouldn't place me anywhere that I wouldn’t be able to succeed. I had a motivation get off the floor, so I was working really hard. Back when I lived near Philly, it was normal to make seven or eight songs a day. When I came out to LA, I saw that people were working at a different pace, so I put my head down and kept going. I learned that what I thought was normal was going to be the thing that set me apart from everybody else.

Things started moving for Clemons in Los Angeles when he met fellow Willingboro native, Ryan Toby. Ryan Toby was part of the early 2000s R&B/Hip-Hop group, City High. Bonding over music and their hometown connection, they started making music together. This relationship led to Clemons working with Luke James which is how he landed his first placement as a songwriter on “Drip.” Around this time, he was also introduced to the Producer Bongo By The Way. When they first got in the studio together, they made eleven songs and they were locked in ever since. Bongo would go on to introduce Clemons to Jeremih which was the catalyst for Clemons’ big break.

When Kanye West was recording Ye in Wyoming, he asked Jeremih to come to Wyoming and work on music for the album. One of the ideas he played for Kanye was an idea that he made with Ant Clemons. This idea turned into “All Mine.” It was at this point that Clemons’ life would change.

Being featured on a song with Kanye West can instantly change your life and bring you a massive amount of attention. Describing that time of transition, Clemons says, “Ye’s album dropped in June and by September, I was with him 24/7. We went from Chicago to SNL in New York, back to Chicago, and then to Uganda. It was all happening so fast. It was crazy.”

Entering the orbit of a revered musician like Kanye West could be very unnerving, but Clemons said being around West was quite the opposite. “The crazy part of working on music with Ye was that he was just a big fan of whatever I was doing. He would say ‘Bro, I want you to just be you. Keep being you. Do whatever makes you, you. Just keep doing you.’”

Fast forward to Coachella 2019. Kanye West has invited Clemons to perform a song, “Water”, made earlier that week, for an Easter edition of Sunday Service. Describing that moment, Clemons said, “For me, it was like when the Jackson 5 performed with Diana Ross for the first time on the Ed Sullivan Show. It was amazing. I'm performing at Coachella for the first time by praising the Lord with one of my favorite artists of all time. God is too good”

“Water” would go on to appear on West’s gospel album, Jesus Is King, later that year. In recent years, West has shifted his musical focus to Gospel with the release of Jesus Is King and the upcoming Jesus Is Born. Knowing that Clemons is a man of faith, I asked him how his faith has helped him navigate the treacherous nature of the music industry. He said, “God’s timing is always immaculate, and I learned not to question what happens. If you have a strong relationship with God, he will lead you through any situation”

A lot of artists would be happy living in the light of Kanye West. But Clemons has way more to do. Speaking on his transition from songwriter to a solo act, Clemons said, “I wanted my first official release to be something undeniable. I wanted something that showcased my songwriting abilities but was also relatable. I think “Four Letter Word” is such an amazing song. I want my music to be played now and ten years from now. Not only is it an ode to a relationship I was in but it’s about my relationship with God. I was happy to talk about it in a cooler way with up-tempo and contemporary sounds and being able to work with Timbaland on the song was a dream come true. My goal for the project was to tell my story and approach it like the artists I was inspired by.”

His debut EP, HAPPY 2 BE HERE has something for everybody. “I wanted to tell my story. I wanted to take the listener on a journey with cool concepts. I wanted to talk about love. I wanted to have something people could dance to. I wanted to tell stories. Most importantly, I just wanted to create songs people could listen to every day.”

I would say Clemons has achieved his goal. Look out for more music and collaborations from Clemons. Stream HAPPY 2 BE HERE below.

[luxmagnafest]

INTERVIEW: "Reflectif" Artists Reflect on Black Representation from their Upbringing

In one week, Lux Magna will have the pleasure of opening a month long art exhibit at Casa del Popolo, curated by local visual artists Kai Samuels and Joyce Joseph (a.k.a. JUICE); Reflectif is an exposition of art spanning various mediums, by 6 young Black artists coming from across the country.

Team member Mags (who is also a visual artist) spoke with Nafleri, Tyrin Kelly, Joseph Moore, Hasina Kamanzi (OTT), BlazenBlack (OTT) and Simone Heath (TO), about their respective experiences growing up with (or without) Black folk represented in the media and art that they consumed.

When was the first time you remember seeing Black folk represented in media or the arts?

Hasina: The first time I remember seeing Black people highlighted in media was when I went back to Burundi for the first time in 2014. I saw an oil painting exposition that was illustrating what life was like in Burundi pre-colonisation. I didn't realize at the time how influential it would be for me so, unfortunately, I can't recall what was the name of the artist or the name of the exposition.

Nafleri: Having grown up in Haiti, I was surrounded by Black people, so Carnival season was Black people and their joy put on a show. I knew whiteness existed but it was in light-skin Black [people] or missionaries; I wasn't fully aware how much opportunities catered to it. BUT, after arriving in Canada and being taught to be Black, around my second year, I remember TVA played films every Saturday, and during the week they would play the trailer for said movies; I remember once they played Fat Albert and all through out the week I was hype ‘cause it was movies with characters I felt I could relate to. I ended up being disappointed but, I still remember that child's hype. But in Haiti, I remember music, cinema, literature, paintings, sculptures, I wasn’t fully aware of it but I was lucky enough to experience Blackness in art.

Joseph: The first time that I remember seeing Black people represented within the media was The Proud Family. The show had a significant impact on my childhood, as it allowed for me to see various Black characters in a normalized and lighthearted setting on a regular basis.

BlazenBlack: Had to be the detective [Bulletproof] in the cartoon COPS, followed by X-Men’s Storm.

Simone: The earliest Black character I could remember is Susie Carmichael from Rugrats. Pinpointing a first time is hard to say for sure. I grew up in the late 90’s-early 2000’s with a lot of Black shows, a few having more Black-centric protagonists. I can remember watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters and The Cosby Show with my family.

Tyrin: I’m not sure… growing up I became really obsessed with the early jazz scene in America. It was drummers like Philly Joe Jones and Art Blakey that really inspired me to learn an instrument. K-OS is one of the first modern Black musicians that showed me you can make hip-hop and be a rock-star. I fell in love with Atlantis Hymns for Disco and really idolized that whole “B-Boy who makes indie music” persona. In terms of visual art I wasn’t really aware of Black artists that stuck to my memory until high school art class I think. I was really invested in the poetry scene in Ottawa during that time and Saul Williams is another Black artist that really influenced me.

2. Who was your favorite fictional Black character growing up?

Nafleri: Can I answer Jesus? (laughs) I remember reading (I know nada of Christian theology) that Jesus never wrote anything, his partners did, so in the writing of others, I'd see the fiction of Jesus, not that it's a bad thing, fictional characters can be inspirational but… uncles, aunties and ‘em might roast for that one. (laughs). Jokes aside though, growing up I remember Bouki and Malice, which were folk stories of Haiti and in the literary work of Odette Roy Fombrun. I was able to see Black characters that weren't asked to be super, they existed in the complexities of their life. Looking back, I'm grateful to have experienced that.

BlazenBlack: My favorite fictional Black character must have been Piccolo [DragonBall Z] if he counts. If not, War Machine [Iron Man franchise].

Hasina: Growing up, my favorite Black fictional character was Pamela (from the Tea Sisters book series) [Thea Stilton series in North America]. Technically, she's a mouse but she was also very anthropomorphic & born in Tanzania (like me!) so baby Hasina read her as Black.

Joseph: This is a hard question to answer as I can think of many favourites, but if I had to choose, it would be between Alyx Vance from the Half Life video game series or Michonne from The Walking Dead.

Tyrin: My favourite fictional Black character growing up was Radio Raheem from Do The Right Thing. Also Q from Juice. Foxy Brown was also so badass. Those three will forever be cool.

Simone: Probably Raven Baxter from That’s So Raven for a bit. I liked a lot of the outfits she would wear. She was multi-talented and funny.

3. What is your opinion on the current state of Black representation in Canadian media?

BlazenBlack: I don’t watch much Canadian TV, so I can’t speak on shows or movies, but in terms of animations, I can’t even name one off the top of my head. I'm hoping to change that.

Joseph: While I admit that I haven't been consuming as much Canadian media as I would like to as of late, I have found it harder to name many prominent or relatable Black characters within Canadian media off of the top of my head as opposed to American characters. While I appreciate Canada's willingness to represent many different cultures and viewpoints, it would be interesting to see something centered around the regular lives of Black people living in Canada on a larger platform.

Simone: Black representation in Canadian media could be a lot better. It feels as though it isn’t really there or pushed into the background as apart of Canadian diversity. Most of the Black media I consume is from the States. I don’t watch a lot of Canadian television, but from what I’ve seen I don’t recall any Black protagonists, usually side characters with little to no background. I feel like Black Canadian artists/athletes aren’t recognized until they have made something of themselves outside of the country. I’m grateful for people that reach out and organize events like this to have ourselves shown. I also have a lot to learn myself when it comes to being more active in these conversations and connecting with other Black Canadians.

Nafleri: I feel like I can't speak of Canadian media, though this stretch ocean to ocean I've only visited— I can't even say Toronto— Niagara Falls… once on a family trip. Quebec media however, having consumed a lot, hoping to fit in, I know for a fact, there is a big lack of representation. Though I stopped consuming QC media, late high school, my best friend studying in a theater institutions is closer to Quebec's media and we often discuss the lack of representation in his future field of work.

Tyrin: Um, I’m not sure it’s so black and white… if you’re looking at “credible” sources of media, yeah definitely a little convoluted. But in terms of independent media— media environments run by artists  for artists— then I think it’s thriving and it’s all so cool! Like, looking at people I follow on social media or friends and peers that are making cool shit the list is giant. Definitely media representation is positive and important to an extent, and I think in  Canadian media the effort is made, but that’s not what matters. What matters is honesty and published honesty is recognized in every format. I mean, shouts out to: Tau Lewis, Marvin Luvualu António, Moneyphone, Schwey, Elle Barbara, Tati au Miel, Neo Edo, Cole Craib, James Goddard, and all other Black artists who are doing their thing.

Hasina: There is a lot of work to be done but I'm hopeful because I see a lot of creatives doing great things both in Ottawa/Gatineau (where I live) and in Montreal.

Closing thoughts from co-curator JUICE

It's really cool how living Black is very different to other people. I always had this ideology that, because I was navigating spaces where there were a few Black children (or I was the only Black child) while growing up, meeting Black folks outside my environment meant that I could relate to them, just because they were Black. I wouldn't realize that our experiences could be different. Seeing how representation is so different but so important to each individual life, reminds me that, what ever they're doing creatively, you can do too, and you're not alone on the journey.

The first time I remember seeing Black folks was when my mother gave me a Spice Girl doll. Mel B (Melanie Brown) was the first Black doll I ever had and she had an Afro. She was the one doll I spent so much time on; I loved her so much. When I found out she was an actual person, I was shocked, and was interested in what she does, but I didn't have access to seeing what she did creatively (except on those celebrity TV talk shows when my mother would take me out to hair salons) . Later on growing up, I was into 1990's-2000's TV shows. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, My Wife and Kids, and Sister, Sister to name a few. Cartoons and anime were some other things I would watch when I would spend time with my siblings. Codename: Kids Next Door, Teen Titans and Bleach were a few of the earliest shows I would see Black characters. I would be extremely happy whenever they appeared on my screen. This only lasted during the years I moved and lived in Philadelphia. I moved back to Canada in 2008 and my spaces drastically changed. TV wasn't really the same after that.

The shows that depicted the Black characters I loved and enjoyed, weren't available in the country. Sometimes if they were, they would be 3-4 episodes behind from the American releases. At this point, I relied on the internet, or my brother’s video collections to air the shows I missed so much. Black representation was never really viewed as much as I was exposed to in the States. It became non-existent to me. The only time I would see a Black person in media or TV, is when a creative artist becomes popular, and outlets find out they're from Montreal. It was difficult to find representation growing up in this city, I always felt like we were side characters in our own adventures. People don't realize it but it does have an affect on people. It's nice to know that organizations are creating platforms for BIPOC representation, because we exist and we are not alone.

➡ RSVP ⬅

[lomospiritual]

Aquarium in camden nj shark bridge

They’re among the few to have the incredibly rare Little Blue Penguins, an Amazon exhibit, and much more.īut you’re here for the sharks, and sharks they have. In addition to being a short distance away from Downtown Philly, the aquarium is among the best facilities around. This impressive aquarium boasts 2 million gallons of water, 8,500 species of animals, and diving mermaids! You may not immediately associate the words “adventure” and “New Jersey” together, but the Adventure Aquarium is among the best places to explore. Being able to stand right in front of all of these unique species is an incredible experience. These unique species include Largetooth Sawfish, Nurse Sharks, Sand Tiger Shark, Sandbar Shark, and more. Here, guests enter a ring-shaped exhibit with over 225,000 gallons of water and several different sharks. The answer is never, but you get what I mean. Sharks are always rad to see up close, but how many times can you see a Hammerhead Shark before it stops being cool? The great thing about Shark Alley is it doesn’t have your typical sharks in it. That is why, if you’re headed to Baltimore, stop on into Shark Alley. The National Aquarium is an impressive nonprofit aquarium features numerous exhibits and species and is certainly worth a visit in its own right.īut we’re here for the sharks, and they know it. © National Aquarium, photographer George Grallīaltimore is home to more than just football and cool-looking cakes. If nothing else, that’s ultimate bragging rights. While the dive cost isn’t exactly cheap, it’s probably the only time you could ever see a whale shark this close. This dive program is the only one in the world that allows visitors to get this close to whale sharks. One of these programs puts you in the Ocean Voyager tank to actually swim among the ocean giants. If staring in awe at one of the world’s largest exhibits isn’t enough, the aquarium offers separate dive programs. Here, over 4,500 feet of viewing glass allows guests to see 6.3 million gallons of seawater, housing whale sharks, rays, and other species. Most of what visitors want to see from a “traditional” aquarium experience is simple to do.Īmong the many exhibits and experiences that the Georgia Aquarium offers includes the massive Ocean Voyager gallery. This time, it’s for their shark presentations, which is as impressive as you’d expect from them. They appear at the top of just about every list, and with good reason. The Georgia Aquarium is one of the most distinguished of our country’s aquariums. Here are five of some of the top aquariums in the country to see sharks. However, by creating an education environment surrounding sharks that is both fun and engaging, aquariums can help pull back the veil on what sharks are and are not. People love sharks, even if that love comes from a deep fear of them. That’s just science.Įven if that comparison doesn’t make sense, there’s no denying that, when visiting an aquarium, the star of the show is a dedicated shark exhibit. Going to an aquarium can often feel like going to a bakery sure, everything looks great, but where’s the donuts? And as we all know, sharks are the donuts of the aquarium world.

[aion-rsa]

Toronto International Film Festival 2020 Movie Round-Up

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It really is a festival like no other. That’s something critics and journalists probably write every year about the Toronto International Film Festival. After all, TIFF (along with Venice) is considered the kickoff of awards season. Studios and independent distributors alike bringing their biggest hopes and brightest dreams to Canada, where a positive reception can make or break early Oscar buzz. However, in the case of TIFF 2020, there really has not been a film festival like this.

In the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the entire press component, including our attendance to the festival, was virtual; the red carpet was permanently rolled up; and even the stars and filmmakers stayed away, giving rare publicity one press conference on zoom at a time.

In this environment, and with studios keeping their traditional highly marketed end of year wares in indefinite stasis, some worried that the show couldn’t go on. But as glimpsed in our notes on the handful of movies we screened during this year’s festivities, there remained as great a range as ever of cinematic stories and triumphant debuts. Some of these projects shined, and others revealed illuminating facets of talent we only thought we knew. Despite so much other anxiety in the world, Toronto’s show did, in fact, go on. Here’s why we can be glad it did.

Another Round

In the abstract, most people are smart enough to know they shouldn’t stare at the carnage left by a wreck. It’s unseemly and never leaves you feeling good about yourself. But that sensation of indulging what you should know better about permeates director Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round, both for audiences and its protagonists. As Vinterberg and star Mads Mikkelsen’s reunion after the masterful The Hunt, their follow-up once again documents the fragility and unspoken lunacies of upper middle class life.

Take Mikkelsen’s Martin in Another Round. As a history teacher, he should know better than to think alcohol can fill the void of years of encroaching ennui. But when his old school buddies and fellow teachers buy into pseudo-science that claims keeping a buzz up at 0.09 BAC will wake you out of the doldrums, it’s drinks in the morning and evening. Martin leans on historic figures like Churchill and Grant to excuse his mistakes, but we all know where this is going. Vinterberg’s intelligence is that he gets there in an immersive and morally ambiguous, if not outright indifferent manner. The excellent ensemble cast, and Mikkelsen’s slick jazz ballet dance moves (really), also make this stiff drink go down all the smoother.

Concrete Cowboy

As the other artful indie that relies on real people from a real subculture to give its film texture (see Nomadland below), Ricky Staub’s Concrete Cowboy is fascinating whenever it’s about the actual culture of Fletcher Street Stables. A last holdout for a Black population of horsemen and women in north Philly, these stables are where honest to God urban cowboys still ride. And they pass like ghosts in a city that left their community behind nearly a century ago—and is now coming for the last few blocks.

That is the documentarian aspect of Concrete Cowboy that is, at times, engrossing. Unfortunately, it suffers from being background to a rather generic and aloof coming-of-age story that is the film’s center. Both Idris Elba, as the laconic father who hasn’t seen his son in years, and Caleb McLaughlin, as the wayward lad who’s been unexpectedly dropped on his doorstep, do fine work. McLaughin is especially good in a part which is outside Stranger Things’ nostalgic suburbia. But every narrative beat in his and Elba’s relationship arrives minutes or hours after you’ve guessed the whole familiar yarn. And it makes you wish the film belonged more to the horses and their real riders.

Get the Hell Out

In this day and age, it’s easy to feel like politicians have turned us all into monsters. People who once went about their day helping their neighbor are now ready to attack them over a bumper sticker, and cheer on the verbal theatrics in legislatures in seemingly every seat of government in the world. Wouldn’t it just be better if these pols had it out already? They finally do with maximum amounts of bloodlust in I-Fan Wang’s Get the Hell Out, a bizzaro horror comedy where the Taiwanese Parliament is infected with a zombie virus.

It’s an amusing premise that could make for terrific sketch comedy or a YouTube video, which is about how long Get the Hell Out works. Opening with a bugnut montage of MPs ripping at each other’s throats and spilling blood on the floor, the movie promises midnight madness, but you may be asleep much earlier with the often cliché-riddled script. The film attempts to make up for its narrative thinness by using stylish graphic introductions for characters, and freeze frames that wouldn’t be out of place in anime or video games, but all the hyper-kinetic energy here ends up being hyperbolic.

Good Joe Bell

If you lived only in social media threads where like-minded people discuss the need for inclusivity, you might convince yourself the world really has changed. But take a few steps outside of that safe space, and reality will inevitably rear its messier, and often tragic, head. And it’s a messy reality, indeed, that Jadin Bell (Reid Miller) and his father Joe (Mark Wahlberg) are forced to confront in Good Joe Bell.

A well-intentioned drama about a traditional American father in the Oregon heartland trying to understand and then honor his gay son, the movie casts Wahlberg in perhaps his quietest and most circumspect performance to date. But that is of course Joe’s parat of the tragedy: He mistakes silent resignation to his son coming out of the closet as loving support; and then after his son’s suicide following years of bullying, Joe attempts to make sense of his child’s life and death by again stepping out, now by walking from Oregon to New York in his son’s memory. It’s a noble gesture, as is the film, even as they both leave you wanting.

Written by Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana (Brokeback Mountain) and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men), Good Joe Bell is a sweet but emotionally distancing experience. Told in a nonlinear fashion in which vignettes of Joe and Jadin’s relationship are interspersed with Joe walking in his son’s name, the mounting awareness by Joe in the present, or despair of Jadin in the past, is consistently fractured and strangely muted. There are moments of grace, especially when the very strong Miller as a distraught youth can (or can’t) connect with his father. But as even Joe admits late in the picture, “I just made this all about Joe Bell.” That’s a problem when the movie’s stronger with his son.

I Am Greta

“I shouldn’t be here.” It’s a refrain teenager Greta Thunberg repeats time and again, whether she’s speaking before the UK House of Commons or the General Assembly at the United Nations. And yet, here she is: one of the most effective advocates for addressing the climate change crisis in the last 30 years. It’s a painful paradox that the all-too-young public figure struggles with in I Am Greta. She’s aware that nothing changes year after year, applauded speech after applauded speech.

The power of Nathan Grossman’s new documentary is not that it only chronicles Greta’s high points of speaking truth to power (though it does), but it also undercuts some of the nastiest criticisms lobbied at her by certain world leaders and their supporters. By following Thunberg’s journey from speaking with random disinterested Swedish adults on the side of a Stockholm street to standing before the world, we see how her message has remained as laser-focused as her love for her family, their dogs, and being a kid surrounded by stuffed animals and often sudden bursts of hyper energy.

She really shouldn’t have to be in these places and focused so severely with having the weight of the world on her shoulders. Really. As the film documents the growing stress this child is under while crossing the Atlantic in a boat that’s little better than a skiff, one is forced to question the healthiness of such pressure. But her ability to actually grab attention is as evident as the endless loop of world leaders, legislators, and one bodybuilder turned Governor of California line-up to extol their admiration… and then change nothing. That’s the real honest takeaway, though the doc errs on a cheery message in the last few minutes about how children will save us all. I suspect the real Greta might have her own doubts about those attempts at uplift.

I Care a Lot

Not since Gone Girl has Rosamund Pike been so perilously irresistible. All toothy grins and smiling eyes, Pike’s Marla Grayson enters every room in I Care a Lot as a ball of sunshine. But also like the sun, if you get too close to this woman, she’ll burn you alive—all while dipping into your savings account and selling the family home. That’s literally her job as a legal guardian: She takes care of people the state deems incapable of caring for themselves… and she’s made a hell of a mint doing it.

Read the full review here.

MLK/FBI

The FBI spied on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a simple fact, but the uncomfortable implications of the federal government attempting to undermine and eventually intimidate a Civil Rights leader are unpacked in full, disquieting detail via this Sam Pollard documentary. In this way, it’s a sobering record of the salacious details about King’s private life that the feds unearthed and a chance to remember perceptions of King during his lifetime.

As the film strikingly reminds viewers, during a public dispute between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and the Nobel Prize winning King, polls showed 50 percent of Americans believed Hoover when he called King “the most notorious liar in the country.” Only 15 percent of Americans believed King’s protestations. It’s a glimpse into how a figure now considered saintly in U.S. history could be smeared as a radical in his time when juxtaposed with the self-anointed gatekeeper of American values. It also helps understand why Hoover thought he had the right to anonymously tell King he should kill himself.

This sordid shadow conflict between one of the most influential leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and the feds is examined with the precision of an anthropologist’s chisel. But what’s most surprising about MLK/FBI is what it doesn’t show. Until the end of the film, the sources and interview subjects remain unseen and uncredited, while only the most sordid words from the FBI’s declassified documents tease the extent of King’s apparently numerous infidelities. Yet the film doesn’t ask to judge King so much as consider a broader portrait, bigger than the tabloid muck the FBI peddled, but maybe more complex and dimensional than what our marble statues also suggest. It makes him loom larger.

Nomadland

Frances McDormand’s Fern is a gateway into a 21st century heartache, representing thousands of similar stories of Americans who’ve turned to a nomadic lifestyle of transient existence and seasonal gigs. One of the most fantastic actors of her generation, McDormand is searing as the hardscrabble heroine, yet she is matched by a troupe of real-life nomads whom Chloé Zhao has populated her film with. Images of these displaced Americans persevering in the margins where they’d been pushed can at times make Nomadland feel like a modern day Grapes of Wrath, save McDormand’s version of Ma Joad travels only with her ghosts. And yet, the beauty of the movie comes from her visible enjoyment of that specific kind of company.

Read the full review here.

One Night in Miami

These are the benefits that come from Regina King and Kemp Powers—the latter drawing from his stage play of the same name—using extreme artistic license to put Ali (El Goree), Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and football star Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) alone together for most of One Night in Miami’s running time. But while the situation may be fictional, the textures and paradoxes it reveals among these four real-life friends is luminously authentic. It’s also a feat more lasting than traditional biopics, which posit themselves as allegedly true accounts of a person’s entire life. Instead One Night in Miami prefers examining the legion of pressures facing Black artists and leaders who hold the double-edged sword of America’s undivided attention.

Read the full review here.

Pieces of a Woman

If movies could win awards for their first 30 minutes, Pieces of a Woman would be a shoo-in. With a single tracking shot that details the anxiety, terror, and (brief) joy of giving birth over nearly half an hour, the movie begins with a stunning piece of emotional whiplash and theatrical bonafides from its leads, particularly Vanessa Kirby as the expecting mother. But as her home birth goes awry, and the worst fear of every parent comes true, all the vital oxygen escapes Pieces of a Woman’s balloon, never to return save for a brief, devastating monologue.

Directed by Kornél Mundruczó, working from a screenplay by Kata Wéber, the movie remains watchable due to the strength of its ensemble performances. As the anchor, Kirby is sure to be a frontrunner in the Oscar race, while Shia LaBeouf does fine supporting work as her partner Sean. My personal favorite performance, however, belongs to Ellen Burstyn, who’s late in the picture speech is the single other time the movie sizzles—even if it’s out of absolute fear of this wrathful, denied grandmother-to-be.

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Yet performances alone cannot carry a movie, and beyond that early opening salvo, Pieces of a Woman is a movie left adrift, unsure of where to go, or how to keep the viewer engaged with getting there. It wants to be a chilly intellectual melodrama in the vein of latter day Ingmar Bergman. Instead it’s just chilly.

Shadow in the Cloud

Yes, there is a gremlin in Shadow in the Cloud, and like the claustrophobic verticality of the movie’s setting, its presence is always felt like a breath on the back of the neck during a stormy flight. Granted this makes for a more effective first act than second (there is no third). Yet when the film turns into an all-out creature feature with more pulp than an orange grove, there’s still enjoyment to be found for horror fans who always wanted to know what would happen in one of these old school gremlin stories if the monster got through the glass.

Read the full review here.

The Water Man

David Oyelowo is another actor who tried his hand at directing this year via The Water Man. Decidedly family friendly in his first behind-the-camera effort, Oyelowo offers a sweet and gentle children’s adventure story that will land right in the sweet spot for distributor Disney’s target audience. It’s a ghost story for all ages, and like the best spectral yarns from your youth, it is about setting the imagination free to look beyond its backyard.

Oyelowo has a supporting part in the film as a second-guessing father, but The Water Man belongs to the impressive Lonnie Chavis as Gunner, his sensitive son. Gunner is a kid more inclined to sketch his graphic novel than engage with his father, but after realizing his mother (Rosario Dawson) is ill, Gunner and cool girl next door, Jo (Amiah Miller), set off into the woods to find a local legend: to find the Water Man, who’s discovered a way to cheat death. More classical Walt Disney than modern day Guillermo del Toro, there’s still just enough shadow in Oyelowo’s direction to give The Water Man shading. And in those dark pools, young ones can carry much out after the closing credits.

The Way I See It

So much of our collective memory of the men who’ve occupied the Oval Office in the last 50 years is shaped by the invisible hand (and eye) of the Chief Official White House Photographer. Most Americans don’t know the job title, but ever since the Kennedy administration, we’ve known the work. Lyndon Johnson standing next to Jackie Kennedy while being sworn in on Air Force One; Richard Nixon shaking hands with a spaced out Elvis Presley; Bill Clinton blowing hot air into the saxophone in front of Boris Yeltsin; and everything from Barack Obama playing Spider-Man with a young boy to being wound tighter than piano wire while watching the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound.

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More than any other president, Obama’s tenure was defined by a cornucopia of history-making photographs taken by one man: Pete Souza. An old school photojournalist who’d been freelancing around D.C. for decades, Souza made his bones as a White House shutter fly during the much more private second term of Ronald Reagan. But even in his younger days, Souza dreamed of one day getting to go on the full ride of a presidency as its visual historian… little could he suspect he’d do that with the first Black President of the United States.

The Way I See It showcases some of Souza’s most famous images and unpacks the stories behind them, just as Souza unpacks his own life story and career. Directed by Dawn Porter, this documentary offers an astonishing bit of whiplash by transporting us to the Obama Years—an era which feels like four years and a lifetime ago. Warmly nostalgic, the movie ultimately acts like a wonderful exhibition for Souza’s artwork while rarely diving deeper than museum placards with bite-sized information and background. Thus the film is mostly a chance for Obama lovers to get wistful, and for Souza to hone his own political attack ad against Donald Trump by reminding us how much better the world used to be. Which… fair.

The post Toronto International Film Festival 2020 Movie Round-Up appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[foodlegend]

Philadelphia

I feel like the thought of Philadelphia is better than the eventuality. Don’t get me wrong, slathered (what a gross word) on a bagel? Woof. Pair that with some smoked salmon? Pret a Manger! It’s a classic combo and I’m not denying it. But living with an open tub of Philadelphia at home and feeling the weight of having to have it every day before the worm turns? It’s a pressure. The ticking clock before the Philadelphia water turns to mouldy wine. How many sittings does it take to cream a tub before it’s bone dry? Depends on your palette knife. There’s no decorum when it comes to cream cheese. You know how with Marmite (it’s a bit like Marmite) there’s an understanding that it’s a scant spread situation, like a delicate varnish? If you were to go in fearless with Marmite bystanders would presume you had never applied anything to toast before. It’s like that bit in Big Brother where someone murked Sree into putting raw bacon into a housemate’s sandwich because he’d never worked with rashers before. The recipient of the sandwich responded WTF as you’d imagine and Sree was unfairly placed under the nation’s microscope as the one adult who had never seen, let alone MADE, a sandwich before. Poor Sree. Anyways, what I’m saying is you can go crazy THICC with Philadelphia and onlookers wouldn’t bat an eyelid - even an alien could come to town and decanter a whole Philly oval relief, un-spread, on a piece of bread and you’d be all “…and?” 

I wanna say Philadelphia is like Polyfilla but I’ve never worked with that medium. It’s less a taste and more a feeling. A cooling agent. Touching the cold wall on a hot day. Facemask feels. Imagine upending it out of the tub and pressing your hand into it really slowly with the negative of your fingers rising in pleasing full-bodied form between the gaps of your digits. Mmm…tangible, calming...relief from the rat race. A reason to be put on earth. It’s the photoshopped cottage cheese, all cellulite eradicated. It’s not a loose mass, there’s a backbone there. You could probably pick it out like a briquette and attack it like a crisp, for a brief time period before the wet weight drifted in your grasp. The feeling to spoodge out a tub with a wooden spoon and plop it into a pan…to make some tragic recipe as instructed by Philadelphia propaganda. Not that I have, nor will I ever, but I can picture it leaving a slug trail on the side of a sauce pan on descent and standing there motionless watching it bubble at the base. I could imagine getting splinters in my tongue gumming the residue off the wooden spoon. Pleasure ist pain. Choke me, Daddy. 

I guess I’m just bored. Bored of having Philadelphia on boring brown Co-Op own brand bread. Toasting gives some integrity to the performance but on having two slices in the morning, I’ve already upped and left my body before finishing the emotionless transaction. If there was a way to absorb it contactlessly I probably would. Could just not have it, couldn’t I. After all this is day four after I rescued it from the reduced section of Co-Op but baby’s on a budget.

I hate Co-Op. Yet I find myself there most days, wandering around in my mental dressing gown, confused as to how I got there. As lifeless and uninspiring as I find the environment, it has to be said that Co-Op radio is almost unwavering in its high grade - and often resonant - tune selection. Pretty Woman by the big O, Take Me Out by Franz F, I Believe In You by Kylie. These are just some of the recent hits. Songs that shake you out of the monotony of trudging the aisles and make you want to swing your basket. Low key on some perfect pairings that lift one’s eyebrow at least and spirit at best, a soundtrack that makes you appreciate that you’re there…in the moment, by the Muller Rice. That feels like a legit feat to feel something, anything, in Co-Op. Occasionally they wield the axe a little close to the bone. For instance, I almost lost it recently when, on a somewhat low ebb, I saddled into Co-Op on a Friday evening solo mission on a reduced hunt to be greeted by the DJ dropping “Dry Your Eyes” by The Streets. What the fuck. What selector thinks it a reasonable decision to spin kitchen sink sombre bombs in one of the stalest surrounds you could wish to find yourself in at 6.30pm on a Friday night? Keep it light, for the love of God. Filthy Gorgeous by The Scissor Sisters. That kind of thing.

I picked up a reduced “Philadelphia with herbs” in Co-Op for 70p (RRP £1.99). A day later I’m wearily peeling back the foil and waging it onto some toast. All I can see is the Philadelphia is thick with chives. “Pfft” I think to myself, “Philadelphia with herbs? More like Philadelphia with CHIVES”. Oh well, carry on with my day and think nothing of it. Next morning I’m back in the standing up position smearing it on with aplomb. I’m reminded for the first time since the day prior of how chive heavy the spread is…like ten flecks a penny, I’ve not seen this many chives since I don’t know when. Since never? Since I looked at a chive plant next to a cress plant and thought…meh. I’m laughing in my head at this point, early morning delirium. “PHILADELPHIA WITH HERBS!? MORE LIKE PHILADELPHIA WITH CHIVES!!”. Haha. I’m still chuckling in my head as I reach for the tub. It seems entirely feasible at this point that this is a dud batch, a freak chive breakout edition that slipped the net. Wait, are chives even a herb? Aren’t they part of the onion family? This makes it even more obtuse. Maybe I can write to Philadelphia and get some free Philadelphia. Maybe the Metro will do a piece about my hardship. I’m reaching for the tub to inspect it for further signs of error. Is this a meme? The reduced sticker on top of the tub obscures most of the lid so I swivel my head to inspect the side of the vessel and my eyes fall on one crucial detail. The name on the side of the tub that was masked by the reduced sticker on the top. The title read…



“Philadelphia with chives”

 Oh. 

 Lol. Why did I think it was herbs? I’m writing this here to save myself the horror of accidentally relaying this story to anybody in real life. It feels like a weight off. Thank God. I just swerved that ever happening. Imagine if I was halfway through telling my neighbour that chive/herb tale, every moment regretting it like treading out onto ever thinning ice, and then others starting tuning in and asking me to tell it from the top. Imagine if the audience doubled at every utterance of the word “chive”. Imagine being in a job interview and being asked three words to describe yourself and the only words you can think of are “Philadelphia”, “herbs” and “chives”. Then you just say them because you can’t pluck anything else. Then you’re forced into recounting this story before a panel of four stone faced interviewees. And they’re dragons. On Dragons’ Den. And it’s on Britain’s Got Talent and everybody in the audience, both on TV and at home, are doing THAT Amanda Holden reaction face. Frozen. Forever. 



Phew.

 Swerved it. 

[khanyadesignfj]

Stewardship project

On Saturday, April 13, I volunteered at the Office of Sustainability’s Fruit Tree Adoption Event. The free event, held in Ritter Quad, was created to give members of the North Philadelphia community the opportunity to come collect fruit trees of their choosing to plant around their homes, offices and community spaces. Before walking home with their new trees, adopters (of all levels of experience) had the opportunity to learn tree maintenance tips and other advice about the best environments for their plants to thrive in from both Anne Brennan, a horticulturist and gardens manager of Temple’s Ambler Arboretum and Bess Wellborn, a professor in the School of Environmental Design.

In addition to working with my classmate Sam to help people carry their new trees and complimentary bags of mulch to their cars, I had the pleasure of doing an Instagram story takeover on the university’s official page. Being able to take thousands of viewers along with us through the day and interact with them in real-time made the experience even more special (and fun). I invited my friends, many of whom weren’t aware of the event, to follow along, and was elated when they (and viewers from Temple’s page) asked questions about the trees, the purpose of the event, and how they could get involved in the future. When it looked like there would be unclaimed trees, I invited people who’d been following along to come down to the Quad and claim any remaining ones. In such a short time, I got so many responses asking which kinds remained how many there were, and if we could hold some. (One girl claimed a tree and then tried to figure out how she was going to lug it home -- I tried to help her identify an Uber that would be big enough, but got pulled away to help someone with their mulch. Loved her determination, though!)

When I first arrived at the site, Hasan Malik, founder of Tree Northeast, a local organization committed to “restoring Northeast Philadelphia’s tree canopy,” was on his knees, tying labels to 60 trees that would be up for adoption. The trees were grouped in clusters according to their fruit; apple, fig, peach, pear and plum. Malik, a School of Engineering alumnus, provided the trees for the event.

I was thrilled to see that a good amount of the adoptees were Black. That might sound surprising - the event was held in North Philadelphia after all, but Temple doesn’t always do a thorough job of reaching out to members of the surrounding community to include them in our initiatives. I had never worked with the Office of Sustainability before, and didn’t know who this event was marketed/targeted to, and what the people who typically engage in their events look like. So seeing Black moms and young Black men come, talk about plant care and leave with fruit trees for their properties, made me smile. (I must note that the Black community in North Philly has done a commendable job on its own of creating and looking after the few green spaces in the area (lot clean-ups, community gardens, Life Do Grow).

According to a quote Kathleen Grady, Temple’s director of sustainability, gave the university’s official news blog, North Philadelphia has the lowest percentage of shade tree coverage in the entire city. This was news to me, and reinforced the significance of this event being held in on Temple’s campus (although it would have attracted more community members had it been held further off campus even by just a few blocks, like in the courtyard at Tanner G. Duckrey Elementary School, but I recognize that as it’s a school event, hosting it on campus makes sense). I’m thinking about all of the people who came to collect their trees and went home to plant them in their gardens or backyards, and how even they might not even realize the impact that one tree could have on the larger community.

As a result of the lack of shade, the urban heat island effect that we also learned about in this course is a major concern. I hadn’t heard of this concept before this course, and now think about the heat in Philly and how it just gets trapped during the hot summer months with nowhere to go. Planting more trees, especially street side, can also help with storm water management in the area.

If I’m around next year and the Office of Sustainability does another one of these, I’d happily volunteer again. I’d love to have one of the features writers at the Temple News cover the event to spread awareness and help get word out to more community residents about it. If the office was able to get maybe 100 trees, and could work on more marketing, we could have dozens more community members come and leave with new knowledge about plants and fruit trees for their homes and offices.

I enjoyed the opportunity to chat with adopters while we walked (I waddled, weak upper-body strength) back to their cars. One woman whose name I forget had been thinking about this day for a couple weeks and was excited to add the four trees she collected to the others she has in her backyard. One of the four trees was an apple tree, which she told me probably wouldn’t bear for another two years. “Really?” I asked. “Why did you take it then? Two years is such a long time.”

“I have kids,” she chuckled. “I’m okay with waiting for things to grow.”

____

Questions answered in this post:

How does this project or agency address community needs?

How did your understanding of the community change as a result of your participation?

How can you continue your involvement with this urban greening issue?

Describe the most difficult/satisfying aspects of your urban greening stewardship work?

[steadystares]

The Mayor

“They aren't characters, are they? The people we meet on our outward excursions.  Omar is the "Mayor of West Philly" and in the three short days I spent in his district felt more like three days of separation from my post-teenage uncertain constant.”  - Start of the original post in 2015

This draft as well as many others sit in a cue that was started some years ago.  Since my first shot at this post, Omar has passed away.  He took his own life a few weeks ago, sometime in early June (’17).   I feel like my most intimate time with him was over a three day period when I was working in Philly and staying at my friend Adam’s house.   He and Adam were extremely close and spoke at length about the various issues regarding humanity, the universe, and trans-permeating subliminal thought.   This man was an excellent figure to one of my best friends during a formative time in his life.  I recognized this my and Omar’s introduction in 2009.  There is quite a bit more to the story of Omar , but I’m not here to speak to all of that.  Just the end portion that is way more bitter than most endings.

He suffered from sever mental illness in the form of schizophrenia.  Omar self medicated with alcohol and other substances.  He was very charismatic and, though eccentric, his thought process followed a very tight and narrowly inarguable line that felt sensible.  While the tenor and subject of any conversation was certainly set by Omar, an open conversation was always being had.  Omar’s ability to host conversation  abiunt subjects considered extremely taboo must have been  difficult for the young gentrifying population of Philly.  Young adults who were unable to identify the mental sickness that dripped in loquacious charisma may not have been able to react in a mature and healthy manner.  

His passing caused a great of upset in the community.  For all the positive and altruistic things he was known for, of which there were many,  he was also attached to elements of his humanity that represents the potential worst in us all. Several female West Philly residents have vocally held Omar in account for being sexually aggressive toward them or people they knew at public events.  

There were many that had absolutely no idea about these instances, but would sooner disassociate with him than be label and ableist or worse, a supporter.  Friends of mine, including Adam wrestled with the need to mourn for their friend.  The discussion took to Facebook and I felt the need to speak to polarizing dichotomy....  

For me, this person was very real.  My original post was focusing on taking the spectacle out of people we meet when we travel so can better receive them.  In situations where you meet someone like and Omar, a neon patterned wallpaper in your white room world, you dehumanize that person immediately.  Someone so unmistakably “other”, even in their own surroundings, can allow you a better point of reference.  Opening an avenue of comradery with the natives in the commonality of not being “like that” in your now less foreign environment.

I’ve stayed up late on many porches talking about all forms of complete bullshit.  Ending nights in arguments, or sex, or fucking up Bop’s car.   But those meetings and discussions blur so significantly pending on my attachment to the people I’m with.  I remember being there with Adam, Omar, and others.  There was no spectacle.  There was a shared and understood laughter.  Wrestling with ideals and concepts about the rolls of government in modern society, what with all all the secret wars and whatnot.  There was a man, who was safe and amongst friends, sick or otherwise.  He was as present a person as should be expected.   So, I was as present a person for him in those moments, not existing to antagonize or embellish.  During a period in my life where I was making a great many poor decisions, being available to meet Omar was a excellent one.

[brandyjanell]

Mommy Ariel Gets Cozy W/ Us

Hi Mommy, Introduce yourself!

I am a soon to be wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and all-around everyday woman. I live in the Philly area with my finance’ originally from Detroit, and I adore our small little love circle. Our son Deuce is two years old and the original Boss Boy who runs our lives lol.

How did your pregnancy/pregnancies go, and is there something that you would do differently?

Pregnancy, for me, was very peaceful as I reflect on my experience. When I discovered I was pregnant, I had just recently moved to the Philly area with my high school sweetheart of 10 years and now fiancé’. I worked the majority from home, which allowed me to rest as much as possible. For the most part, I had a very easy pregnancy that didn’t involve morning sickness or any unusual issues. While I hibernated in the house during a very HOT summer, I spent most of my time researching everything there was to know about pregnancy. Watching Youtube mommy bloggers, eating every craving my hormones desired, and a small amount of traveling for work. It was an amazing experience to see my body change before my eyes while staying cozy in my bed most days. Although I had a nice experience, the one thing I would have done differently is to document my pregnancy much more. Looking back, I wish I would have journaled and taken more photos/videos. I also wish I could have experienced my pregnancy closer to my loved ones. There is nothing better than to be surrounded by love while being pregnant. 

What three words would describe your motherhood journey?

Eye-opening, Strengthening, and life-changing. 

What advice would you give to new mothers?

Pregnancy is a time for you to truly focus on strengthening yourself so that you can be capable of taking care of your new little blessing despite your environment and other people's thoughts and feeling. As a mother, you are now going to be entirely responsible for another human being, and they are going to look to you as their source of protection and comfort. Stabilize your thoughts and feelings and setting boundaries so that you know how to be your best self at all times is one of the keys to motherhood. Also, do your research (especially us black mothers) don’t just rely on the doctors to tell you because they won’t always tell you everything or give you all your options. Most importantly, make sure you have a supportive partner who will look after you while and after labor. Giving birth is a magical moment, but it can also be dangerous not to have someone advocating for you. Prepare yourself for the 4th trimester IT. WILL. BE. HARD, but it is such a beautiful experience. Your baby will love you so much so, please don’t be scared, be CONFIDENT. Mama’s, you got this! 

Did you go through Postpartum Depression? If so, what helped you overcome the depression?

YES, YES, and YES. Postpartum Depression comes in many shapes and sizes. My experience was mild, but still very painful. I needed my village, but we lived in a different state with no family or friends; we were left to figure it out ourselves. I would NOT RECOMMEND moving away from family and friends while pregnant or with an infant. You will need support, so don’t be too prideful to ask for it. I exclusively breastfeed, which resulted in lots of sleepless nights and not sleeping during the day due to new mom anxiety. I also refused to sleep train because I was too scared to let my baby cry. I wasn’t getting any sleep. My fiancé would offer to help at night, but I wouldn’t pump because I was under the impression that breast was best and my son preferred it. Operating with no sleep isn’t healthy, affecting my quality of life and relationships with others. I was a walking zombie for months. As Deuce got older, it got a little better, but this lasted for about 18 months until I stopped breastfeeding. We traveled for the holidays to visit family, which was my opportunity to get the break I needed. Still, since I worked from home and spent all of my days cuddled up in the house with Deuce when we traveled to visit family, I was too nervous about leaving him with anyone else ( I know, call me crazy).

In conclusion, my postpartum experience was all due to me not getting the break that I needed to care for myself. Being a good mom is not just about caring for the baby but, more importantly, taking care of yourself to be the best mom possible. I finally came out of my postpartum experience once Deuce as about 20 months, and I realized that he would be ok even if I didn’t spend 24 hours a day with him. I started to do more things for myself with a limited amount of time and trusted that he would be ok if I left him with his dad. I had to come to terms that allowing dad to have alone time with the baby is very important, and being ok with things if he doesn’t do them my way is what gave me some peace of mind to get the personal time I needed. Although it was a challenging experience, I learned so much and became even more prepared for my next pregnancy. 

Are there any Mommys on Social Media that you follow? Who are they?

My social media is filled with boss moms that I love. Here are a few of my favorites. 

Myleik 

Exquistemo

Cara_lanelle

Herlifesparkles

Itsjessicaacy

What do you do to stay in tune with yourself while being a mother?

I'm still working on this one, but I try to stay engaged with things that don't involve being a mom.

Pampering myself (Hair, nails, and at home facials) 

Not forgetting to get dressed ( I struggled with this for a while, but when you look good, you feel good.) 

Continuing to enjoy the work that I'm doing in the corporate world. 

Listening to podcast

Target Runs

Spending time with my fiance.'

Mommy, what do you do to stay cozy?

I’m still working on this. Ideally, every night before bed, I like to take a hot shower once the house is clean and lay in bed with a hot cup of tea while I unwind watching one The Real Housewives. On the flip-side, I also try to wake up every morning before Deuce to allow myself time to start my day peacefully and without rushing. This doesn’t always happen because mama is tired lol; however, every morning, I have my morning coffee cup to start my date, and that first sip of espresso usually gives me the cozy feeling that I need. Follow me on Instagram to partake in my #Morningcup routine with me :) 

How can we find you on social media?

@Ariel_Zata on IG Follow Me :) 

[phillymakerfaire]

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    Break Through is a podcast series about making. Making discoveries, making a difference in the community and making the world a better place. It’s the stories of startups and inventors who are developing products that have social value by solving real world problems. It’s about artisans and entrepreneurs who have broken through the mold to live their best lives.



Welcome to episode number six of Breakthrough, A NextFab made podcast series. I’m your host, Ron Bauman, founder of Milk Street Marketing, and NextFab member. Our guest in this episode is Ethan Feinstein of Philadelphia Drum Company. Ethan builds custom drums through a collaborative process with other musicians in the local scene. Each drum is handmade and tailored to help drummers discover their unique tone. We started by talking about the first kit he built for a fellow drummer, what it’s like to be part of the Philadelphia drum community and what it’s like to be a new business owner.

Ron Bauman: So Ethan, thanks for joining us here today at NextFab South Philadelphia.

Ethan Feinstein: Thank you so much for having me.

Ron Bauman: We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us today.

Ethan Feinstein: Anytime.

Ron Bauman: So why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and Philadelphia Drum Company.

Ethan Feinstein: Sure. So I am Ethan. I’ve been playing drums for the last 17 years. I’ve been performing for about the last 10 or 11 years and I’ve been teaching drums for the last eight or nine, and about four and a half years ago, I started getting interested in trying to get a little bit more personal with my drum sound, since pretty much every aspect of my life already involved drums. So I figured why not take on one more aspect of it and actually get down to the science of the drums themselves. So I started experimenting with the help of a good friend of mine named Pete Brown, who was actually a member here at the time. And he helped me out with that first build, kind of got me going and also made me aware of the space. And after that, I started working here, just experimenting, trying to get down the process.

Ethan Feinstein: And before long, after I had made my first, I guess it was a snare drum, a friend of mine asked me if I would build a full kit for him. Before I even knew whether I could do it or not, I said, “You know what? I’ll give it a try.” And it took me about a year and a half to build that full kit. But over the course of that, it taught me what I needed to know to kind of get the art of drum building off the ground.

Ron Bauman: Work out all of the kinks?

Ethan Feinstein: Yeah, kind of learn all the problems that I was going to run into. The first build was really about discovering everything that I could do wrong, and then learning how to correct those mistakes. And shortly after that, some friends of mine named Ben and Nisha approached me about turning this into a business. And so the three of us worked together to get the Philadelphia Drum Company off the ground. And from there, you know, we’ve been working to keep going.

Ron Bauman: So that’s a relatively new endeavor. I think you just launched a brand, launch the company a few months ago, if I remember correctly?

Ethan Feinstein: About six months ago was our official launch and we just got our online site up and running. Actually, the store portion of our online site, running a couple of weeks ago actually. So we can officially sell online.

Ron Bauman: Philadelphiadrumcompany.com?

Ethan Feinstein: Actually, it’s www.phillydrumco.com.

Ron Bauman: Phillydrumco.com.

Ethan Feinstein: Short and simple.

Ron Bauman: Gotcha, gotcha. So how’s it been so far? What’s it like to be a newly minted business owner?

Ethan Feinstein: Well it’s been great. I’ve really enjoyed it. Being a part of the Philadelphia music community, I’m surrounded by drummers all the time. Being that I am a drummer, most of my friends are drummers and so it feels really good to have something that is about bringing the Philadelphia drum community together. And that’s really been what it’s been all about so far. Getting the word out, just feeling the excitement of Philadelphia drummers to have a drum company in their city, because there hasn’t really been anything like this. And I think people are just really excited about having handmade instruments that they can interact with, and get really personal with. So it’s been great to just feel that excitement and get to interact with all sorts of different people about drums.

Ron Bauman: So did you ever see yourself as a business owner?

Ethan Feinstein: Not at all. I see myself as an artist. I always have and really I still do. I never intended to start a business with drum building, but it seemed to be the kind of thing where once I started doing it, there was a clear need for it in the area, and just enough excitement around the idea, that I felt like when I was approached by my partners to start a company, it felt like it was a good way to continue my art form and try to make it more sustainable.

Ethan went on to talk about this love for nature, trees, and wood, and how building drums for others is where he finds his true purpose.

Ethan Feinstein: Well, I think aside from music, which has been a huge source of inspiration for me throughout my life, I find a lot of inspiration just in nature and in the natural environment. And one of the cool ways that that has translated into drum building is, I’ve always had a love for trees and a love for wood. And so it’s kind of encouraged me to go deeper into understanding different varieties of trees, different ecosystems, and also understand what kind of woods are more sustainable to harvest, and what not. And so it’s kind of tied my love of nature and being along with my love of music.

Ron Bauman: I think with guitars you can get different tones, tonalities from different types of wood. Is it the same with drums?

Ethan Feinstein: Certainly. And in a lot of ways, even more so. Because drums, similar to an acoustic guitar, actually, drums are an acoustic instrument. So there’s no electronics involved with the actual tone. And so when a drum is resonating, it’s resonating the wood, it’s resonating the metal, and it’s resonating the head. And so, the wood really plays a large effect in the overall tone in the drum.

Ron Bauman: And what’s your favorite board to work with?

Ethan Feinstein: Tough question.

Ron Bauman: You work with multiple types of woods?

Ethan Feinstein: I work with all different kinds. I’ve really been in love with a black walnut at the moment, partially because it’s a beautiful wood. Second, because it’s a domestic species, so it’s found in our area. And third, because as a species, it actually grows quite rapidly and it puts out a certain toxin into the soil that makes it difficult for certain other trees to grow. And so when harvested responsibly, it actually works well as something that humans can have a relationship with.

Ron Bauman: A sustainable?

Ethan Feinstein: Yes. Sustainable relationship with.

Ron Bauman: Awesome. So a few years ago, you decided that you wanted to build your own drum kit. And if I remember the story correctly, because obviously, we’ve known each other for a little bit now, and I’ve heard you talk about this. You mentioned you were approached by a friend of yours to build him a kit.

Ethan Feinstein: Yeah, totally.

Ron Bauman: So you never got to finish your kit. You ended up building your friend’s kit first, and then at that point, was that sort of the nexus where you said, “Maybe this is something I could do for a living or could it provide income for me?” Or for you, I should say.

Ethan Feinstein: And it’s never really been about the income. Because you know, for me, being a musician, it’s kind of like your whole life is both your work and your passion.

Ron Bauman: Sure.

Ethan Feinstein: And so I look at drum building the same way. But it was definitely in building a kit for someone else and seeing how excited they got about it and how excited I got about it. It really got me hooked on building, not just for myself, but for other people. And it feels really great, especially when you can see someone else play and express themselves joyfully with an instrument that you made, with your two hands. So I’ve really been all about building drums for other people, even more so than for myself.

Ron Bauman: That’s awesome. Now did you have an interest in woodworking? I mean, did you have experience building things, making things growing up? I mean, where did that skill set come from?

Ron Bauman: I’ve always loved working with my hands, and working with wood, although I never really got into working in a wood shop environment, until I started working at NextFab. So I used to do mostly hobbies, you know, building things in my backyard, things like that. And when I really wanted to start building drums, that’s when I started really getting determined to learn all the different tools that I needed in the woodshop. And so I really owe a lot to NextFab and the people here, because throughout the process, I’d get all sorts of advice from everyone, from staff members to fellow coworkers in the space, who I can bounce ideas off of and get advice. And it’s really helped me come a long way in the last few years.

Ron Bauman: So that community aspect here at NextFab. You’re running in some pretty creative circles here, between the Philly music scene and all the members and community here at NextFab.

Ethan Feinstein: Definitely, definitely. And like I said, it was actually a mutual friend of mine who also was a worker here in the space, that got me involved. And as soon as I signed up, I immediately started meeting more and more people that I knew or were connected in through various circles.

Ron Bauman: Right, so when you signed up as a member, did you sort of test the waters at first and just join up for say maybe one of the lower level memberships, or did you know right away like, “I want to be here all the time?”

Ethan Feinstein: No, I did that. I started with just three days a month, but very quickly, I upped my membership. Because as soon as I got here, I knew that this was a space that I wanted to be in pretty frequently.

Are you a creative entrepreneur or artisan in the Philadelphia area? Do you want to connect with the creative community that will push you further and support your vision? NextFab is a community where artisans and entrepreneurs help each other learn new crafts, build business, and create new products. Coming in 2020, to the newly revitalized Kensington neighborhood. NextFab is opening up its flagship location for the creative maker. The space will offer over 30,000 square feet of shared workshops for jewelry making, textiles, woodworking, welding as well as private studio space. Visit nextfab.com/1800 to sign up for updates about our grand opening. That’s nextfab.com/1800. If you want to make it better, we can help. We look forward to meeting you.

  Ethan and I then discussed his process, and the vital role that NextFab plays in his drum building. From always having the right tools at his fingertips, to receiving advice from other members and staff. And he also told us why he doesn’t make his own drumsticks.

Ethan Feinstein: Oh man, so many ways, really. To start, like I said, they really just helped me acquire the skills that I needed to achieve the goal that I was going for. And along the way, I can’t thank the NextFab people enough for instilling safety precautions into to me.

Ron Bauman: Safety first.

Ethan Feinstein: Seriously. I probably would have cut my finger off three times, if it weren’t for all the advice that they had given me. So just my personal safety, you know, that’s a big part.

Ron Bauman: And you need those fingers, you need those.

Ethan Feinstein: Definitely, as a builder and as a drummer. And then from there, you know, the community aspect has really helped me start to progress, as a business. Because I’ve actually met other members that have become a part of the company in different ways. I met a furniture builder here named Greg Maser, who actually has started helping me in the wood shop, because a lot of his skills as a furniture builder were able to translate quickly into some of the stuff that I was doing.

Ethan Feinstein: And so being able to have other skilled workers around me that I can reach out to was a huge part in kind of starting to up my production. And then from there, I just know that any sort of a new idea that I want to prototype. I’m starting to move into the metalworking and hardware. I know that I can approach them and I already have started talking with them. Whatever I’m looking at next, whether it be laser cutting or welding or just general metalworking, they’re always there to help me get to that next step.

Ron Bauman: Yeah, I was going to ask, outside of woodworking, what other departments are you working in? Are you doing the fixtures or the closures? Are you using the metal shop for any of that?

Ethan Feinstein: So the wood shop is definitely my home, primarily.

Ron Bauman: Sure.

Ethan Feinstein: Outside of that, I’ve started using the jewelry studio in North Philly a lot. I use that to laser engrave my drum badges and so there’s some minor metalworking involved. I laser engrave it and then punch it out, sand it down, and set it in the drum. I also do minor hardware modifications. If I get a piece of hardware and it needs to be changed or modified, I’ll do that in the metal shop. But I’m hoping to, very soon start, actually building the hardware pieces, themselves, in the metal shop. But that’s kind of over this next year, kind of going to be some of my goals that I’m working on.

Ron Bauman: So do you make your own drum sticks as well?

Ethan Feinstein: I do not, but maybe one day in the future. I hope so.

Ron Bauman: Why? Is there something with the drumsticks?

Ethan Feinstein: Well, every, every bit of a drummer’s gear is very particular. And drumsticks are one of the most important parts. And so they have to be crafted just right. They have to be made to the right specifications, the right weight, and it’s very particular. So the way that I would approach building a drum, where everything’s got to be just right in order to get the right drum sound, is the same way I approach a drum stick. To me, even though it seems like a simple part of the process, I think it takes just as much work to make that as it does to make a drum.

Our chat finished with Ethan’s advice for aspiring drummers, the future of Philadelphia Drum Company, and his other musical projects.

Ron Bauman: And you’ve mentioned North Philly, you work primarily out of the North Philly location?

Ethan Feinstein: Yeah. I joined NextFab in 2015, pretty much right after the North Philly location opened up. And so I kind of quickly set up my shop there, and have all of my jigs and my tools and my various different pieces of drum building hardware up there.

Ron Bauman: Are you excited for the opening of the new location?

Ethan Feinstein: Oh, I can’t wait. I was just talking to someone else saying when it opens, I’m going to be trying to get one of the rental rooms there-

Ron Bauman: Sure yeah, project spaces.

Ethan Feinstein: To have something like an official office for Philadelphia Drum Co.

Ron Bauman: That’d be great.

Ethan Feinstein: That’d be awesome. And also, I’m just excited about having the spray booth up there, an expanded facility and hopefully extended hours, just everything. I feel like as that facility grows, my business will be able to grow as well.

Ron Bauman: Awesome. And you’ve recently taken on an apprentice, I understand?

Ethan Feinstein: Yeah. So one of my drum students that I’ve had for a very long time, his name is Kyle, has started helping me. He loves drums. He loves every aspect of drums, and the science, and the building behind it. And so he started helping me handful of times a month, where I’m slowly but surely teaching him the different processes. I think within the next couple of years, he’ll be able to get to the point where he can help actually build them with me as well.

Ron Bauman: That’s awesome. So what advice would you give to a young budding entrepreneur who may be in the artisanal space or really just in general? Somebody who may be thinking about joining NextFab, maybe has an idea for a project?

Ethan Feinstein: My whole approach to building business and art in general, is that you should enjoy every step of the process. To me, the ends should never justify the means. So you should always have goals and you should always be driven by your goals, but you should make sure to enjoy every step of the process, so that even if the goal that you reach isn’t the one that you intended to, you still enjoyed it along the way, and have felt the whole thing was worthwhile. And that’s the way I try to approach this, try to make every day that I’m in the shop a good day and try to learn something every day so that the whole experience is just something that feels worthwhile. Whether or not it becomes something that is a lifelong hobby, whatever it is, I’ll be enjoying it the whole way.

Ron Bauman: That’s awesome. So I want to make sure we do get a quick plug in for Out of the BeardSpace and Beard Fest.

Ethan Feinstein: Sure.

Ron Bauman: You want to tell us a little bit about how things are going with the band and the festival?

Ethan Feinstein: Yeah, sure. So aside from the drum company, I also am in a band called Out of the Beard Space, and another band called PanSong.

Ron Bauman: Oh yeah that’s right. Can’t forget about PanSong.

Ethan Feinstein: And a third band as well called Deep Creature. So many different bands.

Ron Bauman: Oh of course, you drummers are hard to find.

Ethan Feinstein: And we run a festival in Hammonton, New Jersey. It’s the third weekend of June. June 13th through the 16th, I believe, this year. And it is a three day art and music festival run by my band. We have 30 different bands. We have workshops. It’s right on the beach in the Pine Barrens, which you don’t usually think of there being beaches in the Pine Barrens, but anyone been in the Pine Barrens knows some really beautiful spots in there. And so we’ll just camp out and just make art and music for three days. We have a lot of nationally touring acts, everyone from The New Deal, to Go Snow, Anomaly, all sorts of just great acts. A lot of Philly bands will be there, and we try to just get a great mix of our favorite music and a mix of local and national talent. And so yeah, it’s going to be fun time.

Ron Bauman: That’s awesome. Awesome. Well Ethan, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us today.

Ethan Feinstein: My pleasure.

Ron Bauman: Look forward to seeing you around the shop.

Ethan Feinstein: Thank you. All right.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Breakthrough. I’m your host, Ron Bauman, serial entrepreneur, founder of Milk Street Marketing and Next Fab member. If you are enjoying our show, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave us a review. To learn more about how NextFab can help make your ideas come to life, visit nextfab.com, and follow #NextFabMade on social, to see what our members are making. Come back for our next episode, featuring Jessie Garcia of Tozuda, who developed a head impact sensor to help detect concussions in sports and in the workplace.

The post Break Through: Ethan Feinstein appeared first on NextFab.

[profitdigger4-blog]

The East Coast's largest refinery is closing and many say a greener future is possible for the site

Philadelphia is buzzing with news that Philadelphia Energy Solutions plans to close its sprawling refinery.  

After years of close calls and passionate calls from activists eager to see the gas-making facility gone, a series of financial crises punctuated by a small fire, and then a massive one, led refinery officials to announce Wednesday a plan to shutter. 

The largest refinery in the Northeast, the 150-year-old complex covers 1,300 acres on both banks of the Schuylkill River. The closure would mean the loss of more than 1,000 jobs and thousands of other indirect positions.  

But this isn’t the first time Philly has been here. 

In 2011, the previous operator, Sunoco, announced a plan to shutter the refinery. Over the course of the next year, local leaders including then-Congressman Bob Brady worked to save the facility. They brought in the Carlyle Group, a private equity fund that purchased a two-thirds interest in the refinery, keeping its doors open. 

That wasn’t the end of the South Philadelphia complex’s woes. Since then, the refinery faced bankruptcies, fires, and mounting environmental concerns. The refinery is by far the single largest polluter in the city. After over a century and a half of refining, swathes of the site are profoundly contaminated by lead, gasoline, and benzene, a carcinogen. 

Now, with the refinery again planning to close, WHYY’s PlanPhilly spoke with seven Philadelphians, including politicos, neighbors and activists, about their vision for the polluted, yet weirdly prime, riverfront land. Here’s what they told us.  

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, chairman of the Democratic City Committee

I’ve been speaking with Phil Rinaldi [previous chief executive officer of Philadelphia Energy Solutions], who was the guy I was always dealing with when they were ready to close the refinery down the last time. Back then, he came through with Carlisle and he had the expertise and he put the pieces together and I have faith in him to do it again. We’re trying to get it done again. 

According to Phil, it can work and it can make money and it can and should be salvaged. It's almost too big to fail. The site is so big and there's nothing really you can do with it because of the contamination. There's nothing you can really do but have a refinery there.  

We are going to try. I’m not going to sit by idle...We have to put our heads together and try to figure this thing out.

City Councilperson Kenyatta Johnson

It’s disappointing as it relates to the thousands of jobs that will be lost. But it also gives us an opportunity to look at safety in our energy and our environment. So we look forward to what the future will be. If it does go in the direction of some type of energy use, we want to make sure it goes along the lines of some kind of sustainable energy that doesn't have a negative impact on the surrounding areas and residents from an environmental standpoint.

Carol White, a resident of nearby Wilson Park

We want to deal with the community first. We want to have some kind of big celebration and figure out as a community what direction we would like it to go in. 

After they clean up their mess, I would love for them to put all solar panels over there so we can have better clean air and conditions for our community...We don’t want to find out that Penn or one of the colleges bought the land before we get a chance to vote on how the land should be set up. 

Justin DiBerardinis, director of programs at Bartram’s Garden 

Anything you talk about on that land is going to be in the context of vast, staggering remediation. 

Everything is pie in the sky because you are connecting it to that very real reality. But the first thing that comes to my mind is the recreation and establishment of that marshland and green space we’ve lost at the confluence of these two rivers. 

The public access that would be possible to truly complete the Schuylkill River Trail all the way to its mouth. To see this as the beginning of the reclamation of this stretch of the river is a really powerful...effort.  

Christina Simeone, analyst at University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy

There are certainly areas of that refinery area where you aren't going to be able to build things because you can’t dig down in the dirt because it's so contaminated. There will be areas you just have to cover. Maybe solar panels could be put there? Perhaps. I think renewable energy should be part of the conversation, especially on the contaminated brownfield land. But it shouldn't be the only part of the conversation.

Portions of that 1,300 acres can be remediated to a level where it could accommodate some kind of industrial or commercial reuse. Other portions of the site you probably can’t decontaminate. And that land may have very limited reuses. Typically when land is really contaminated like that you cap it and out concrete over it. You can have a parking lot. Or an airplane runway. Could you put solar panels on that land? Maybe. 

Mayor Jim Kenney

This obviously was a tragedy we didn’t expect to happen. I guess they don’t have the financial wherewithal to rebuild. We have to figure out what the next steps are. I don’t know what they are…I have no idea at this moment what will be on those... acres.

Jo Cordon-Hill, organizer with Philly Thrive

We ultimately want the site to be remediated because we know it's incredibly polluted from 100 years as an oil refinery. We want PES and Sunoco to be held responsible for that remediation because we don’t think it should be left in the hands of the city. 

There isn’t total alignment in the communities nearby [about the future of the site], but one thing that could be a reuse of the site is as [a] renewable energy [facility]. 

We aren’t OK with all these workers just being let go. We want their jobs to be kept and the political decision makers and refinery owners to get them green jobs and healthy jobs...Because this is such a huge refinery, moving it towards renewable energy and having the city and the owners take on that commitment would be a really big step towards a Green New Deal.

Source: http://planphilly.com/articles/2019/06/26/philly-s-biggest-refinery-is-closing-and-many-say-a-greener-future-is-possible-for-the-site

[annamearajamesblog]

Meara’s Blog Post

What course concepts did you see in action?

           The first stewardship event I participated in was a watershed clean-up in NE Philly. This event consisted of walking along and near a large creek and making sure no trash was susceptible of polluting it or its surrounding areas. This highlighted the aspects urban ecology and even biodiversity. In order to ensure healthy and safe conditions for any species of the creek or surrounding forest areas, the trash had to be removed and properly disposed. This was a really impactful course concept to see in action. The conditions of the watershed were horrible upon arrival, however, after spending a few hours there the difference was eye-opening.

           The second event I participated in was a community garden clean-up. This event worked with Philly Orchard Project in order to remove invasive species and begin planting new pollinator species. This event related to course content mostly regarding trees and soils. I spent the majority of my time there working with the Head Gardener and pulling out invasive weeds from the flowerbeds. From doing this I was able to get a hands-on feel on the different types of soil quality. She also talked to us about what kinds of plants she intended putting in the area in order to promote different insects entering the garden. I learned a lot of from her insight and she told us that we made a huge difference in helping her manage all of the work!

 What did you do? – be very specific – include plant names, soil types, names of groups and individuals.

           At the first event I mostly picked up trash. This really ranged in types of trash. Most people immediately began picking up the largest pieces of trash they could find. However, Anna, James, and I spent a decent amount of time picking up microplastics, small pieces of glass, and other small items we could find. This was important to us because those microplastics can often be mistaken as food to many species which then enters the food chain. Shattered glass is also very dangerous to animals and people. A bird could easily land on class and cut there wing or foot just as a child could accidently step on glass and impale themselves. We did not really work with any types of plants at this event since it was a clean-up, however, we did have to maneuver around all various sorts of weeds and leaves in order to find hidden trash. Many plastic bags, soda bottles, liquor bottles, old clothes, as well as many other items were found tucked under piles or leaves or hidden under tree branches. All the trash was placed in garbage bags and after the event weighed. We later learned that we collected over 1,000lbs of trash!

           At the second event I participated in I also picked up trash as well as weeding several flowerbeds. This event took place at a community garden about 5 minutes away from Temple’s main campus. James, who was with me at this event, even planted a Juneberry tree! However, I stayed with the members of the Philly Orchard Project, the Head Gardener, and Anna. The people from Philly Orchard Project worked to cut down branches of different trees that were beginning to look crowded in the area. They tended to refer to this as “giving the trees haircuts”. One of the trees they were trying to trim up was a mulberry tree. Also, there was a lot of mint in the garden. Jasmine, the Head Gardener, informed us that they were intending to keep the mint, so we were told to not pull any of that out. The community garden was composed of 5 flowerbeds, 4 of which were completely overgrown with weeds. Anna and I spent the majority of our time pulling all the weeds out. At first, I thought this was going to be really simple. However, some of the weeds were so far in the grown that they were pretty tough to remove fully. This event was a lot of fun and super impacting. It was really awesome to be able to see the changes that we were all able to make in just a few short hours.

 How does this project or agency address community needs?

           Both of the stewardship projects I participated in were very impacting to the community needs of the surrounding communities. Particularly, the community garden event. This event was located in a low-income neighborhood in North Philadelphia. Upon arrival, Peter and Gene, members of Historic Fair Hill, gave us some background information about the location. They informed us that the area used to be entirely ran by drug cartels. The poverty rate, drug rate, as well as crime rates were all extremely high. The city of Philadelphia has stepped in and imposed government-assisted housing in the area now as well as other aspects in order to try to eliminate the poverty and crime. One of those efforts was implementing several community gardens throughout the area. The community garden I worked in was directly across from a newly built government-assisted complex. The Head Gardener informed us that it was going to be challenging to initiate the local community to become involved with the garden. She also said that once the community begins to get engaged with the garden, she can show them how to maintain different food crops in hopes of building better community relations and saving people some money. This event was very impactful in the community and I hope many people get involved with the garden and make sure it flourishes!  

 Did anything happen that made you feel uncomfortable? If so, explain why you felt this way.

           The first event I participated in which was the watershed clean-up had one particular event that made me uncomfortable. After about an hour of being there, it became apparent that someone has discovered a gun in the woods, specifically an older rifle. Upon discovery, the police had to come and obtain the gun. This made me feel uncomfortable because it was scary. It was scary to realize that even when doing something good for the community and local environment, such crazy things can be discarded. Many people seemed shook up about this event. Luckily, it was handled as appropriately as possible and nobody was hurt.

[boozedancing]

LimpD: So, G-LO, once again our presence as Esteemed Members of The Media was requested at a “soft opening” for the new concept restaurant by our friends at PJW Restaurant Group; a chance to preview Central Taco & Tequila (CT&T) from the team that brought us P.J. Whelihan’s Pub, The Pour House, The Chophouse, and Treno Pizza Bar. How could I possibly pass THAT up? Thankfully, The Powers That Be, i.e. Benita (aka My Better Half), didn’t balk at my request for a couple hours leave from my usual parental responsibilities, so I was all set to have a little fun!

G-LO: Yes yes! When The Booze Signal lights up the night sky, this Not Quite Dynamic Duo always come a running! We’re like the Batman and Robin of Booze with a whole lot of “BOOM!”, “POW!”, and “OOF!”…

I was particularly interested in this event because while I knew that CT&T is housed in what was formerly The Irish Mile, I never actually set foot in the place, so I was curious to see what the inside was like. Let’s just say that The Irish Mile, a rather shabby looking shack masquerading as some sort of low-rent, cut-rate Irish Pub, wasn’t exactly warm and inviting looking on the outside, so I would always skip it on my way to The Pour House, Keg and Kitchen, or some other more desirable spot.

Before we get to the food and drink portion of this post, let me start things off by saying that I was really impressed with the interior of CT&T! The high ceilings, lighting, and open floor plan were really inviting, and I like how the bar is pretty much in the middle of the action. Do you have any idea what it looked like before when it was The Irish Mile?

LimpD: I think as superheroes, it might be a little more like, “OOF! Ohhhh… my aching back!”, than any “BOOM!” or “POW!”. Ya feel me, Boy Blunder?

I had never been in The Irish Mile. Benita had gone there a few times with a girlfriend as it was about half way between the two of them. When I asked her about the interior, she said that it was just a big room with a giant bar, and that they had great pizza, but were otherwise unimpressed with the place.

Per my brief chat with PJW Restaurant Group CEO, Jim Fris, CT&T underwent a major renovation that took about a year to complete. I think the place looks fantastic, and the partially-enclosed patio is a really nice touch. I also like that they spent almost as much time working on the food and drink menu as they did on the physical structure, and based upon what we sampled during the event, I’d say that all that effort really comes through in the finished products. Of the six different cocktails that we sampled, i.e. the Blood Orange, the Cosmorita, the Jalapeño Mezcal, the Central Paloma, the Smokey Arroyo, and the Oaxacan Old Fashioned, which was your favorite?

G-LO: I’ll see your “OOF!”, and raise you an “OOF-AHHHHH!”, because you can take the boy out of South Philly, but you can’t take the South Philly out of the boy.

Based upon your wife’s description of The Irish Mile, I’d say that we most definitely didn’t miss a thing. And I agree about the patio; definitely a nice addition, and I stand by my PATCO drinking game, i.e. do a shot every time a train goes by. That would make for a dangerous night of drinking!

I was quite impressed with the cocktails, and I really like that the prices are pretty reasonable, ranging from $7 to $11 per drink, with most of them priced at $9.50. As far as what we sampled goes, the only one that was kind of ho-hum was the Blood Orange as I found it to be a bit too sweet for my taste, plus it was lacking the blood orange juiciness that I was expecting. My two favorites were the Oaxacan Old Fashioned thanks to those delicious chocolate bitters that come through in the finish, and that Jalapeño Mezcal was muy delicioso thanks to that chili salt coating around the rim. I don’t generally like salt on the rim of my cocktail glass, but this one totally worked for me. Honorable mention goes to the Central Paloma thanks to the addition of those Old Fashioned Bitters which were a delicious counterbalance to the tart grapefruit flavors. I have a strong suspicion that I’ll be going back again several times in the not too distant future to take an even deeper dive into their drinks menu.

How about you? Did you have a favorite cocktail of the six that we sampled? And what did you think of the food?

LimpD: Hey now, Mr. South Philly! Let’s keep those “OOFs!” G-rated. This is a family show for chrissakes!

Depending upon the time of day and the number of trains, I think that drinking game of yours might be a little too ambitious. But, hey, I’m certainly game for it.

I agree about the Blood Orange; too sweet and just not enough blood orange flavor for my taste. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I think the Jalapeño Mezcal was a little too spicy for me, and that chili salt on the rim was a real WOW! I had the Central Paloma as my first drink and it was quite refreshing with just the right amount of fruit juice, and those Old Fashioned bitters capped it off nicely. As my last drink I had the Cosmorita which was perhaps a bit too fancy of a presentation for me. I should have ordered it in a rocks glass. Presentation quibble aside, my oh so dainty self found the Cosmorita to be another winner with just the right amount of Reposado Tequila and orange Vodka. I had a sip of your Oaxacan Old Fashioned and that too was a winner. If I had to pick a favorite though, I would go with the Central Paloma.

And then there was the food…

Three kinds of tacos (pork, fish and veggie), Mexican street corn, and a salad with pomegranate seeds. Twas quite a nice little spread. I thought the pork was the best of the three tacos, and mixing that street corn in to the salad made a nice combination. What were your thoughts?

G-LO: As far as Mexican food goes, let’s just say that I’m a big fan of that cuisine, so I was all in with all that was on offer during our Esteemed Members of The Media sneak peek. While the pork (spit-roasted achiote pork, cilantro, caramelized pineapple, onion, salsa roja) was the definite winner of that taco trio, the fish (beer battered mahi mahi, chipotle crema, roasted jalapeño pico de gallo, spicy cabbage) and veggie (roasted broccoli, squash, brussels sprouts, onion, carrots & potatoes, goat cheese crema, spicy pecan chipotle salsa) tacos weren’t far behind. And I’m with ya on the salad too! They had me at pomegranate and cotija cheese. Sadly though, I didn’t toss any of the Mexican street corn into my salad, and only had it on its own. That being said, that corn was pretty darn tasty thanks to its buttery, creamy and mildly tangy/spicy goodness.

What you neglected to mention was the Tuna Tostada (soy citrus marinated ahi tuna, chipotle crema, avocado, crispy leeks). That was a pretty to look at and even better to eat little mouthful of crunchy tortilla and fresh fish goodness. Although there’s no mention of smokiness on the menu for this item, I could swear there was some smoke coming through while I was savoring it. And that’s not a complaint by the way. Me likey the smoky fishy! My only disappointment with this dish is that I couldn’t get more of it. I swear, us media types are like vultures! As soon as the plate was dropped, everyone swarmed in and they disappeared. VULTURES!

So yeah, I’d say that we were treated to some pretty tasty cocktails and many a fine dish to go with them. And the fact that this was all served up in some mighty fine and inviting digs is an added bonus. All I have left to add is one question: When are we going back?

Any final thoughts before we wrap up this little chit-chat of ours?

LimpD: Oh, the Tuna Tostada! How could I have forgotten that? And you seem to have left off the churros that ended our meal which were just the right blend of crisp dough, cinnamon sugar, and a delicious chocolate dipping sauce. It’s not like you didn’t eat at least five of them at the end of the event. OK, now I’m starting to drool…

Between the renovated environs, the delicious food and the fantastic cocktails, I’d say the PJW Restaurant Group has another hit concept on their hands. My only concern is the lack of parking. I hope CT&T does a brisk business based on the foot traffic thanks to its such close proximity to PATCO and the surrounding neighborhood.

And, I’m with you. Let’s break out the calendars and find a date to take our Benevolents on a night out.

G-LO: CHURROS! How the hell did I forget those crispy, sugary, cinnamony, and chocolatey bits of bite-sized goodness? I’ll blame it on the cocktails of which I may have had one too many.

And I concur on the parking. That situation needs to be rectified. Then again, we could always just take PATCO or an Uber. That would allow us to take a REALLY deep dive into that oh so tempting cocktail menu of theirs.

With regards to that night out with our Benevolents, I’ll check in with my Budding Broadway Star, and you check in with your American Ninja Warrior Princess. Let’s get something on the calendar for early January!

_________________________________________________________________

Many thanks to our friends at Food Shelter PR for inviting us to this funtastic event!

We Say, "HELLO!" to #CentralTacoAndTequila! @CentralTandT @FoodShelterPR LimpD: So, G-LO, once again our presence as Esteemed Members of The Media was requested at a "soft opening" for the new concept restaurant by our friends at…

[sandwichbully]

Frank from Philly 2: Electric Boogaloo, 16 September 2017

 It’s September, everybody, it’s time to check your Gophers schedule if you want to maintain your soul’s healthy, lustrous coat. Today, I made the mistake of venturing into Dinkytown without first consulting the college football schedule and found I had no fucking way out because the police - who should have been arresting and beating the shit out of everybody but me - had closed off all the exits. It was like they corralling us toward the stadium like some nightmare “Down In The Park” scenario; since this is Dinkytown, the presence of “rape machines” is totally plausible.  Please, tell me you get the Gary Numan reference.  Anyway, there is only one way out of this labyrinth of douche-sluices clad in gold and maroon vertical striped overalls - yes, that’s a thing. That everybody was wearing. Five hundred thousand Clearisil’d goddamned teenage date rapists walking around dressed like Pogo protégés and don’t act like you don’t know who the fuck Pogo is with their Dads behind them wearing cop shades and cop ‘staches, and their main squeeze walking in front of them with her skirt hiked up to her titlets and her chicken cutlet ass cheeks hanging out, not having graduated junior high yet, and not one of these doofus Brock-bros, their apologist dads, or their underaged girlies can pay attention to a crosswalk signal WHERE THE FUCK WERE THE COPS TO BEAT THESE FUCKERS TO DEATH!?  So, as mentioned, I, the lone Argonaut, my brethren slain, surrounded by the gold and maroon gophertaurs, found my one exit from the labyrinth: Just book a straight line on SE 4th to Bullshit Central, the confluence of Hennepin, University, 1st, and some other streets, too. It’s where my union hall is, I can take refuge there. There’s also a White Castle if I need a colonic and the Gopher Bar which nobody can remember if that’s racist anymore after the whole Club Jager thing a week back but the art on the wall is still creepy. Kramarczuk’s is in Bullshit Central, so is Brathaus. There’s that Japanese joint that Ron and Jo took me and Tosha to. Nye’s, god rest its overpriced soul, was over there. Bullshit Central really isn’t a bad place to be if you have fifty dollars and absolutely nothing responsible you have to do with it. If I take SE 4th all the way to Bullshit Central, I can make it home, alive, unscathed. I’m feeling pretty good about this, actually. Two Jehovah’s Witnesses buzzed my apartment while I was jacking off this morning and I just powered through that. I think I can make it.  And that’s when I see it.  Frank From Philly.  Cheesesteaks.  Real cheesesteaks.  I love cheesesteaks.  I have nothing else to live for. I mean, I did make a half dozen jars of pickles today but I don’t think I’ll live through the next ten days, let alone the next ten minutes, given that I’m in The Land That Consent Forgot.  So, that was it. Frank cast out his line. He hooked me. I went inside.  My previous review of Frank’s is a far different animal. I told a tale of suburban gym surrounded by antiseptic teens who’d never touched a cigarette or their own clits. Affable lil’ duders who could sell you a Xanax come midterms. A bunch of kids who looked like they did safe things like check in with their roommates if it got late, dipped their bread in milk, had no intention of ever fucking bareback. But that was summer time. That was when the Hitler Youth’s Townie Division was in full force.  This?  Heh.  This is fucking football season, bitches.  Everything I’ve ever told you about Dinkytown is like something from Bizarro world.  I have never in my life seen so many absolutely sinister looking white kids gathered in one place in the day light. They looked like they want to beat me up just for being old and better sexed. They looked like their genital warts were burning. They looked like they did abortions the way their grandparents did them: a couple kicks to the stomach and a straightened out coat hanger up the kid shitter. And there were about two hundred billion of these absolutely psychotic looking fucks in Frank’s today. My god, the terror.  Fucking football season.  Little Asian lady greets me at the register and asks me how I was doing. I didn’t go into any elaborate detail over how panic-stricken I was at the moment because one: she wouldn’t care. She has to work in this environment and I bet she carries a firearm of some sort. It’s football season. And then two: She’s hot and I want her to think I am strong and capable so she will like me and ask me to stick around until she clocks out so we can go to a bar, have a few drinks, and then she takes me back to her place and her and her identical twin sister roommate take turns pegging me until the sun comes up. So I said, “Good.”  “What can I get you?”  “From behind,” is what my sick man devil brain wants to say but what comes out of my mouth is, “Yeah, I was looking at a cheesesteak. Can I get that with cheezewhiz, peppers, and onions?”  She starts typing on the register, muttering what I think is, “God, this customer is so fucking good looking and refined, not like these short-dicked boys that always come in and out of here,” but turns out to be, “OK, cheesesteak… pppeeepppppeerrss… oooonnnnions…” She looks at me and does not tell me, “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a sexual partner and I would like to give you a tour of our walk-in cooler,” opting instead to say, “You said cheezewhiz?”  I want to say, “Take me to bed and lose me forever,” but I said, “Yeah.”  She asks, “Is that for here or to go?” because you know I’ve beaten this joke to death when I break out a Top Gun reference.  “For here,” I tell her. I’m not going to bike with a sloppy ass cheesesteak in my bag.  And, unlike the last review where there was nothing going on and I had to wait a week and a half for my cheesesteak, in the middle of this crowded, hectic scene, she walks by a guy coming from the back and yells in his face, “CHEESESTEAK!”  I expect him to make it but he looks confused. She starts making the cheesesteak. She’s not wearing an apron or plastic gloves or nothing protective. She just gets right on the goddamned grill like its her fucking personal grill from home and starts chopping fucking steak on the grill.  I go to Trieste for two specific reasons: They have the best gyros in all of Minneapolis - I’ll put money on that statement until someone brings me to a better gyro shop - and I love watching the Greek guy in the kitchen work. It’s like watching Michaelangelo paint the Sistine, this fucking guy. And he wears an apron and gloves.  And here I’m watching this little Asian lady do the same thing on this grill, just -  “Hey, Dustin!”  - just rocking the fuck out of -  “Hey, DUSTIN!”  Sorry, she’s working this grill like -  “Dude, I’m going to sit over here!”  Anyway, she’s -  “Did you already grab your drink!?”  Goddamnit.  See, I can’t even enjoy watching her work the grill because whatever this shit head’s name is is yelling right next to me to let Dustin know he’s going to sit over wherever. I’ll give you three guesses how they were dressed and the first two don’t count.  The Asian lady yelled “CHEESESTEAK!” at the dude from in back again and he kind of ducked as he walked to the back.  Within minutes, however, my cheesesteak is ready. A lot faster than last time. The Asian lady struggles with the cheezewhiz pump and looks at me, handing me the plate. “Cheesesteak?”  I say yeah, thank her, and find the cleanest table for one that I can, with a window to my right and a beam directly across from my chair. To my left, an angry young black man glowers at me over his girlfriend who is unconcerned with anything but her phone and I’m afraid I might have just done something racist.  Did I do something racist?  Oh, fuck, was I being racist?  Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck, Jesus Christ. These fucking college kids, man, they’re all fucking football crazy and they’re woke “AF”. It’s bad enough I’m twice their age and I don’t rape people, I’m also fucking racist or something, too. Did I not check my privilege? I came in here and ordered a fucking cheesesteak. With cheezewhiz. And peppers. And onions. Why was this angry young black man glowering at me? Did I just unknowingly do some alt-right shit? Because those guys change their memes all the time. Did they pick up cheesesteaks and nobody told me? Is the cheesesteak the new sandwich of white nationalism? I mean -  Then he looked at his table of white friends and returned to his pizza.  One of the clown-suited white kids got up and said, “Dude, call me,” as he left, presumably to assault somebody and do debit card frauds, and the young black man nodded.  The place was packed with a lot of little white fuckers. White boys, white girls, all straight or straight-seeming. Maybe the dude who glowered at me felt underrepresented. Maybe I did something racist without knowing it. Maybe his pizza tasted like shit.  Anyway, I picked up my sandwich as the conversation behind me turned to the straightest white dude shit you could think of: Hugh Hefner. I looked out the window and saw a dude try to hold another dude’s hand and thought, “Oh, maybe football season isn’t so -”  NOPE! He was just trying to ball-tag him.  Goddamnit.  I was in the nucleus of white jock bros doing white jock bro shit, like picking up kegs and getting young tight strange on the reg. I was the odd man out here, the stranger in the strange land, in my high-cuffed jeans, Frank Sinatra mug shot t-shirt, four week old beard that none of these kids could grow. Not a stitch of U of M color on me or a wisp of alcohol on my breath - it was five thirty, ferfucksake. The angry young black man wasn’t glowering at me. He’d been looking me over. I looked different. I was a white dude but not a white dude from around here.  Or maybe I had done something racist and hadn’t known it.  Still, though, he was probably checking me out and I just caught him at the wrong moment. Like when I saw Todd Trainer coming out of a Dunn Bros and I made my “Is that Todd Trainer?” face right as Todd Trainer looked up at me and saw my “Is that Todd Trainer?” face which, from the way the muscles in my face feel when I recreate it, must look an awful lot like my “Well, my IBS is fucking flaring up again!” face. It’s not a good look. That’s what Todd Trainer saw.  Anyway, I let it go because I had bought the ticket, I had to take the ride. It was time to eat my goddamned cheesesteak.  You’re probably wondering how it was.  I hardly remember the last time I was there, a little over a year I should think. So I can’t really compare it to last time. My meat was cooked, not seasoned, didn’t need it. (Note that, PepperJax. “America’s Favorite Cheesesteak” my sexy Black Irish ass. Lay off all the goddamned Lawry’s.) The peppers were nearly goddamned fluorescent, the onions translucent. The cheezewhiz looked like something I should not be eating, like it was really just plumbing caulk and annatto, but I’ve got a fucking deathwish, like that L7 song, so yeah, fuck it. Little Asian lady, because she was trying to send me signals, doused the goddamned sandwich with it. Like she was happy about it. Like she had a plan that day. She had woke up to kill round eyes and this was her first shot all day long.  It was fucking delicious. It was savory. It was heaven. All that beef grease and cheezewhiz dripped on my wax paper and I just sopped it right back up with the sandwich. As I did, the loud conversations turned to nothing but a gentle thromming around me, like the sound of my mother’s heart while I was in the womb. I had returned to the gentle place, the place before pain, the place of tranquility and security. I was home, my droogs, I was home.  Not around these bros, no. In the sandwich.  I pounded that fucker down in about four minutes.  Then the world came rushing back at me. Saturday. Dinkytown. Sun close to going down. Football season. Jesus Christ, I had to go.  Connors and Bethanies everywhere. A new throng of Bethanies entered as I got up to throw my wax paper away and all their ponytails were tied so high and tight that their eyebrows were in a constant expression of surprise, tight little non-cheeks poking out of skirts. I threw away my wax paper and tried to avoid physical contact, hell, eye contact and I SAW A GUY WITH AN UNDERCUT OH GOD DEAR JESUS HELP YOUR SERVANT PLEASE GOD MOTHERFUCKING JESUS AND MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL DELIVER THIS SINNER DELIVER THIS SINNER OH LORD SONOFABITCH THEY’RE MULTIPLYING! THEY’RE MULTI- DID SOMEBODY GET ONE OF THEM WET!? OH MY GOOD LORD IN HEAVEN BABY JESUS PLEASE I SWEAR I WILL NEVER TOUCH MYSELF AGAIN JUST DON’T LET ANYBODY FEED THEM AFTER MIDNIGHT!  I begin hyperventilating. I need air. I need a pink lemonade. With some Hennessy. And a cigarette dipped in embalming fluid. God sweet lord baby Jesus get me out of here. The exit! I see the exit! If I can just make it to the exit!  I make it! I’m out! I’m free!  I unlock my bike, put on my headphones, and hit start on my phone. Public Enemy. Classic cut. “911 Is A Joke”. I straddle my bike, look briefly through the windows at Frank’s Football Season Patronage. They’re. All. Staring. Back. At. Me.  I swear to god. They’re all staring back at me.  Shit was unnerving.  I got out of Dinkytown before sundown. Came back to the apartment. Slammed back a grape pop.  If you go to Frank From Philly’s, go during baseball season.